The secret
by GoldandBelle4evr
Summary: Letty and Dominic's past is a crazy one, and they had a hard time along the way. my take on how they got together, follows some of the movie scenes, but I'm changing a lot of it ;) i do not own fast and furious or any of the characters. Rated T for now, may change later
1. Chapter 1

(**Dom & Letty's life through the years, starting with her being 14and Dom being 16.)**

** Chapter 1: Letty's secret life.**

**Letty's POV**

Shit, dad was still downstairs. I was crouched at the top waiting for him to move so I could run out the door and go to school with Mia, Vince, and Dom, but with Dad sitting on the couch yelling at my mother, I didn't have a chance of getting out without him seeing me, and if he saw me when he was in this mood I'd have to come up with a reason for a new pain in some area. You could only fake being clumsy to a certain point before it became stupid. I estimated the distance between where I stood and the front door. There was no hope there, I would never get by unseen, but the backdoor, and that was an option. I would go out my window, but my foot wasn't healed yet from the last time I jumped down from the back patio covering.

I had to time this perfect. Dad had been in a mood last night and had gotten nasty. My ribs were bruised, badly. I had to settle for a t-shirt today instead my usual belly shirts and shorts. It was hot out, so I knew I was going to bake. I had to wear jeans because my legs were so badly bruised. Dad had taken to kicking as one of his new favorite methods. I'm just glad he stopped smoking; I still had some of the scars, while others faded away. I watched him as he pulled himself back against the couch and closed his eyes. My opening.

I ran, a quickly and as swiftly as possible. I knocked over a book from the kitchen table as I unlocked the door and made it out to the yard. Dad was up and yelling by the time I jumped the fence and ran through the playground behind our house. The Toretto's place was three blocks past the park. Mia and I had met at that park, when we first moved in. Dad had started yelling at mom about how she was unpacking some things and I couldn't handle it. The first day we were in the house and they had already started to fight.

*_Flashback*_

_ "Dammit Maria, what the fuck are you doing? This is the living rooms stuff, why the fuck did you bring it in the fucking kitchen? How stupid are you!" Daddy yelled, Mom tried to explain but all that followed was a loud slap and mommy's crying. No, not again, we just got here. They'd said it would be different than San Diego, it was the only reason I agreed to move, but here they were fighting again. I can't take it!_

_ The park! The one behind the house, I could hide there, let them fight it out and come back for dinner. Yeah, that'll work._

_ I left the house silently and walked around the block to the park, there was a girl there with her brother, playing on the slide together. I looked around the park and looked for somewhere so I wouldn't bug them; it was something I always did, bug people. Daddy hated when I did that, he'd get mad at me if he found I bugged someone in the park. I saw a set of swings and went to sit there, my back to my house. I didn't want to hear the fighting, but I could. I always could, no matter where I went. _

_ I didn't push myself on the swing, just slightly pushed myself back with one foot as I stared at the two playing. The girl looked like she was my age, maybe we could…. No, no friends, I learnt my lesson last time. _

_ The brother looked over at me and smiled, I didn't smile back, just looked down at the ground and kicked at rock. How long till dinner? When would they be done? I wanted to see mommy. _

_ Suddenly I was pushed forward on the swing, I screeched surprised and held on tight as the swing was pulled back and let go, swinging me into the air before being caught again. I turned to see a grown up smiling down at me. "You need to push your legs, honey, or you won't go higher." He pushed me again, but I quickly jumped off the swing and backed away, my head down as I started to apologize. I did something wrong, I had to say sorry. The man looked at me before stepping in from of me, kneeling down to look at me. "What's your name, honey?"_

_ "L-Letty." I whispered, looking down. "Letty Ortiz." _

_ He smiled at me. "Hello, Letty, my name is Tony Toretto, and those are my kids, Dominic and Mia." He waved them over, Mia ran over happily and said hello._

_ "Wanna play?!" She smiled at me and held her hand out to me, I smiled and reached for it, and she pulled me back to the playground._

_ *End of flashback*_

Mia and I were close; she and I were so different most people were surprised when they saw us together. I was a tomboy, but I had no problem dressing sexy, Mia was very put together and girly, more into make-up and heels than I was. I loved cars; I would hang out with her and Dom at the garage after school most days to stay as far away from home as possible. They all though of me as family, and to me they were my family as well, and I loved them. Hell, even Vince had grown on my in the last few years, as Dom's best friend, he was around about as much as I was, so I learnt to get used to him. He learnt quickly not to piss me off when my knee connected with his balls three times in one day.

Dom was hot, he had muscles that would make my grandmother drool, and recently started shaving his head, and it was a good look for him. I'd had been in love with him for a while, but no one knew, not even Mia. Most of the time we teased each other then tried to beat each other to pieces, so no one guessed that I wished Dom would notice me one day.

I reached the Toretto house quickly and slowed my pace to a casual walk, not wanting to make it seem like anything was wrong. It'd been eight years since we moved to L.A. and I never let anyone in my house. Not Mia, not Vince, and defiantly not Dom. If he found out my secret he'd kill me and then go after my father. Dead beat dad or not, he was still my father. I didn't bother to knock on the door as I entered; this was more of a home then anywhere to me. I spent the night four days out of the week on a regular week, five when things were bad at home. Lately though I'd come around less and less, not trusting myself not to accidently lead my father here. I didn't trust him, and I found ways to lose him when I knew he was watching. I needed to protect my family, even if they didn't know why.

"Mia?" I called, standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to hear a reply. Normally, I took the bus whenever I went out, seeing as Dom didn't like to have me around his precious baby and only would drive Mia to school. I'd meet up with them a block away from the garage and we'd pretend that he drove me. It was what Dom wanted, Mia hated it, but after I said I was fine with it she let it go. I made her promise to let it go, I knew my place here, no matter what I was told or how I was treated, or who I thought I loved, I was an outsider, and I could fade away just like I always did. They were my family, and I was part of their family, but I had no secret hopes.

Mia ran down the stairs wearing a white blouse and black shorts, she looked good. But when she saw me she gave me a face, she looked over my outfit and scowled. "What are you wearing?" She was blunt, I'd give her that.

"I believe its called clothes, Mia, you put them on to avoid being naked in public." I loved my sarcasm, it suit me. "Is Dom ready or not?" I was playing the part, Tony was still home, and I had to act like he was actually going to drive me. Tony came into the room and gave me a hug hello and some friendly greetings. We chatted for a moment before Dom came down the stairs wearing a black wife beater and some low riding worn out jeans. He never looked better, and I could feel myself caving in on myself.

"Morning Dom," I said quietly, looking at him with a fake smugness. I wanted to leave already, it wasn't like I was actually going to school. Mr. Toretto didn't know but Dad had pulled me out of school at the beginning of the year. He'd at first made me stay home and clean, but after a while I began to sneak away from the house and spend my days elsewhere. Dom and Vince didn't even know, they just thought I hung around by myself like some loner. Mia had a million clubs and things to do before school, during lunch, and after school that she didn't know. I looked up on the school website about the information I needed so it would seem like I went to school, and I'd been doing a good job of it so far. I knew all the people from around because I sometimes hung around the grounds to chill with a few people. And the rest, I knew from the races.

Dom was known for his street racing, and every Friday we'd all sneak out and go watch him race, then go to a party and crash at the Toretto's. It was a good time, as long as Mr. T didn't find out. I looked back and forth between the clusters of Toretto's in front of me, deciding it was time to start the charade. "We'd better get going, we don't want to be late," I said goodbye to Mr. T and walked over to Dom's car until he went back in, but he didn't.

Dom watched with a little fear as he opened his car door and hopped in, Tony still watching us from the porch, smiling to himself. I'd never been in Dom's car before, and to be honest I didn't want to. But with Tony watching us I had no choice, I climbed in beside Mia and Dom started the car, glaring at me through the mirror. I shrugged my shoulders in a 'what can we do' motion. I wasn't going to cause him any trouble, as soon as were out of sight from the house I'd get out and head over to my friend Tia's place for a beer, not that Dom needed to know that.

"Great, I had to have the runt in my car." Dom muttered to himself as he started to drive. Living on a hill it would be a while before we were out of sight from Tony, so I waited, looking behind us anxiously. I was sore and it was hard to breath, I wanted to go drink away the pain.

"Relax, Dom, just drop me off over the hill and I'll find another way to school." I lied, and it was so easy to fool him. But he just glanced at me and kept driving.

Mia turned to me with a serious look. "Seriously, Let, a black t-shirt and jeans? It's ninety degrees outside, you're going to bake." She scolded me, like I was a child.

"Drop it Mia, I like my outfit." I muttered, looking out the window.

"No you don't. I thought you were going to wear that red bustier and the black leather pants, the ones that hug your butt, you were going to look hot, but you decided to go with, with, this?!" She motioned at me as if it were so obvious. I rolled my eyes.

"Let it go, Mia. Dom, here is fine." I told him as he drove around a corner, but he didn't stop. "Dom?" I was cautious, this was rare.

"You're already in the damn car; I might as well drive you to school." I gulped. This was not good, if I went to the school, then Mia would want to go to my 'locker' with me or something like that, and I couldn't. I'd be caught out in my lie in a second. I wanted to break down, but I wouldn't let my emotions show, this is how I would get caught. I just had to act normal and everything would be fine.

"Dom, just let me out of the car, I can get to school just fine." I tried again, praying he would agree.

Dom just shrugged. "You're already halfway there, Let, and why not just enjoy the ride." He was watching me, he knew something was up, I could feel it.

"Your car is not that great to just sit and enjoy the ride with, Dom." I knew if I insulted his car he'd kick me out, he had to.

He glared back at me, but kept driving, Mia was watching with incredible interest. "You'll pay for that one, Let, but for now just shut up and enjoy the free ride." He kept driving and started to pull up the school. Oh no, I was fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dom's POV_

I watched as Letty shifted in her seat. Dammit, why was I stuck driving her to school? We'd come up with a nice agreement when Dad demanded I drive her to school, every morning I give her the bus fair and she stays out of my car. Now here she was, in my car. I don't know why I didn't take her offer to drop her off, but we were nearly at school anyway, so what did it matter, she could enjoy the ride. But it seemed that the closer we got the more tense she became, and whenever Mia commented on her outfit she would snap at her, very un-Letty like.

But he outfit was odd, at least for the summer. Letty liked showing off her sexy side, her stomach, legs, and all that shit, but not in a trashy way, or slutty. It was very boyish a lot of the time, with a sexy hint, hell if I didn't know her and what a pain in the ass she is I would probably hit on her. Yesterday, when she'd come to our house she'd been wearing black booty shorts and a brown tube top. She'd looked good, it showed off her legs and her stomach, yet she was still able to make it look boyish with the grease stains and wearing her combat boots. Though I'd noticed that her shoes were falling apart, the soles were falling off and her laces were held together by staples, and when we met up with her before heading to work she'd been gluing her shoes back together. Yeah, we all were a little poor, but her mom couldn't give her ten bucks to go to a second hand store and buy some new shoes?

I pulled up to the school and drove to the parking lot and parked in my usual space. Mia jumped out normally, like always, but Letty seemed frozen in place, looking at the school as if it were an alien. "Y'know, this isn't an all-day thing, get out of my car." I was being an ass, I knew it, but the last time she'd been in my car, she'd thrown up in my car and I didn't want that to repeat, I'd finally gotten that damned smell out of here. She was still staring at the school, but she started to open the door and push it open. I noticed that she didn't have a backpack on, or any kind of bag, just her wallet and cell phone in her pockets. "Where's your bag?" I asked her, shrugging myself out of the car and standing in front of her, blocking her path. "Don't you need it to carry your books or shit?" I asked, reaching into the car to grab my own backpack. I always keep it in the car; if I had homework I'd take it out then put it back when I was done. Knowing my luck I'd forget them at home and get even closer to failing school.

Letty shook her head at my question, shrugging her shoulders. "No, I keep them in my locker?" I tilted my head slightly, her voice sounded like a question, I knew only a few places in the school actually had lockers, but I didn't know where, Mia had a locker, so it was possible that Letty did too. "I should go, or I'll be late for class." Now that wasn't right. Class didn't start for another fifteen minutes, she had plenty of time. I started to get this feeling in my gut telling me that she was hiding something, I knew her to well for her to hide something from me, and I wanted to know.

"What's your first class?" I asked, casually, making it seem like actual interest. I just wanted to see if she knew today was a different rotation than yesterday. I watched her as she paused, looking up at me with a slight annoyance in her face.

"Why do you care? It's not like you're ever going to see me in it, or even drive me again, so it makes no sense for you to care." She walked off. But she was walking in the wrong direction. Our school was a multi grade school, from kindergarten to senior. Mia went to the far left, being in grade 7, and Letty should go towards the center, being in grade 9. She was going towards the far right, where I went to class. The more she walked, the more suspicious I became. Last year she would have gone to the far right, before a lot of the teachers moved there classes around to be closer to the more advanced labs, and Letty always had classes over there. She was acting like she didn't even know about the switch.

I turned my head for a second, not even, when she took off running. When I turned back she was out of sight and I couldn't see her. I swore, slammed my car door shut and stomped off to school. I was going to find some of her friends from her grade and find out where she had first class. She was hiding something, and I was going to find out.

oOo

_Letty's POV_

I ran. I'd been waiting for him to look away so I could run over to the first bus I saw. The city bus was heading towards the mall, so I'd have to hang around there today, hopefully without getting caught by Dom. I knew that sometimes he and a few of his friends would drive over at lunch to get some food and ditch the next period. I wanted to go over to my friends place and get a beer, my side was killing me, and my legs were sore. I had no energy to walk five miles to her house, like I did on most occasions. I had a couple of bucks with me, maybe I could convince someone to buy me a six pack by the liquor store. It'd be worth a shot, I doubted that I could stay out much longer with my side being this bad, it hurt like a bitch and I couldn't move properly.

I made it to the bus without hearing Dom behind me, or feeling him grab hold of me and shove me on the ground like dad does, so when I sat down on a seat after paying for my ride and saw him looking around the parking lot for me I smiled. I was tired of having to run from someone, and I wanted to get some sleep. I hadn't been able to sleep for three days, both Mom and Dad were fighting, or Dad was beating on mom, or he was beating on me. He could look around that parking lot all he wanted, but he wasn't going to find me. I laid my head back on the seat as someone sat next to me. It was still early; I could probably find a nice spot to sleep before heading to meet up with Dom, Mia, and Vince after school and head to the garage. I had to work on the engine of Mr. Johns' truck today.

I groaned to myself. I would be leaning over the car all day, my side was going to kill me by the end of it, or I'd pass out during from the pain. Maybe I could switch cars with Vince, he was doing some work with a car under it, and it would be easier on my stomach if he said yes.

I took out my cell and texted Vince.

_Hey man, u still workin on that Honda back at the garage?_

_ Yea, y?_

_ U mind switching with me? My stomachs bin in pain all day, I don't think I can deal with the bending over the hood,_

Vince didn't reply, it was over five minutes and I'd gotten off the bus before I got another text.

A_sk Dom, Mr. T's not going to be there today, so it's up to him._

I groaned to myself. Dom was the last person I wanted to talk to right now, my side and legs hurt, I'm tired, I want to find a good place to sleep, and I didn't want to have to deal with twenty thousand questions and getting picked on for acting like a 'girl' about it. Truthfully, I didn't even want to go to work today, I just wanted to go and sleep. Dad was probably at work by now, maybe I could sneak home and catch a few z's before he got home.

I doubted it, though. No doubt after he saw me leave he called into work and claimed he was sick. And mom would be no help, over the years she'd come to the conclusion that I'd been the cause of everything bad in her and Dad's lives, claiming it was fine until I showed up and ruined everything. I knew a few people who lived in the area who'd probably let me crash for a few hours. The closest one was my buddy Jack, so I took off for his place, sending a quick 'never mind, I'll suck it up' text to Vince, I walked the short distance from the mall to his apartment.

I knocked on the door and waited. Jack had no life during the day; he was a DJ at a local club, so he'd mostly sleep all day with me.

The door swung open and the annoyed face of my friend appeared. "Let, this better be damned good for waking me up after only three hours of sleep."

I smiled apologetically at him, mocking him, before grinning smugly at him. "Suck it up, you big baby. I just need a place to crash for a few hours. I need some sleep." He just looked at me before shrugging to the side and letting me in. He took off for the bedroom while I made myself at home on his couch. A few hours, that was all I needed. I set an alarm on my phone and dozed off into the magical place commonly known as sleep.

oOo


	3. Authors note: Feel free to skip

Due to a few of my reviews, I would just like to say that I know that Letty seems like the outcast in her own mind, but I;m going to make her grow into her role as a tough girl and very stable in the family as the chapters go one. Also, I know it seems weird that Mia doesn't know that Letty was pulled out, but I'm writing in a few characters that make it possible for her to keep the secret. I know I've made Dominic seem like an ass but he's a teenager, and knowing quite a few that's how I see a lot of then acting, but the next couple of chapters will change him into the movie version, I just needed a starting points. And lastly, the only reason that Letty's dad was able to pull her out of school was he claimed they were leaving the country, which will come up in the next chapter.

I just thought I'd bring these up, knowing that it could get a little confusing sometimes. I love all of my reviews and hope to keep getting them. If you think I should adjust anything in my story please let me know, I'm open to all p.m's.

(Also, I forgot to add, I do not own any of the movies, and created a few minor characters. I wish I owned Dominic Toretto, he's awesome)


	4. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

_Dom's POV_

Dammit, I was going to kill Letty. I was going to take her little annoying head and shove it in an engine. She was dead. I had texted her three times today asking her to meet me in the parking lot after second period, she hadn't showed. I asked her to meet me at the cafeteria at lunch, she hadn't showed. I told her I'd drive her to the garage and to meet me at the parking lot, and again she didn't show. I wanted to scream. How could this little annoying girl annoy me so much? It couldn't be humanly possible. He was waiting for her still in the parking lot of the school waiting for Mia while calling Letty's phone over and over.

This damned girl was going to drive him mad!

_Letty's POV_

"Shit!" I yelled, jumping off the couch and running out the door. I'd slept way to long, I had twenty minutes to make it to the garage or Dom and Tony were going to flip. I didn't think I needed that much sleep; I slept through the whole school day. The pain had eased a bit, so it was easier to run to the nearest bus stop. Luckily, the bus that headed towards the garage was just pulling up. The ride was a short one, so it wouldn't take too long; I probably could make it to the meeting place instead of the garage. I pulled my cell from my pocket, laughing silently as I stared at it. The only reason I had it was so Dad could track me if he wanted to, and he tried, even found me a few times when I was sleeping in the park, he'd freaked out and beat me, trying to make me cry. He'd failed though, every time. He wanted me to cry, once I did he usually stopped, but I refused to. I was too tough for my own good. Tony had said that to me once when I dropped an engine piece on my foot and broke three toes, yet refused to stop working. I loved Tony more than my own father, he cared. He even drove me to the hospital when it happened, and demanded I stay at home the next day instead of work. Yet the next day I was back in the garage, limp in my step, cringe in my head, and with a smile on my face.

As I opened my phone, I couldn't help but laugh. I had thirty-eight texts and over ten calls. Ten texts were from Vince, mostly asking for some cash he could borrow, ten from Mia, updating me about her many activities, and eighteen were from Dom, three asking me to meet him at the school cafeteria, two to meet him at the parking lot at break, five saying he'd drive me to the garage, and eight saying how pissed he was that I wasn't replying to any of the other texts. All the calls were from Dom, and he'd left messages.

I called my voicemail to listen to the messages. I had a bad feeling that I would be facing an angry Dom when I got to the garage. I'd come up with a nickname for him when he got angry, calling him Grizzly Dom whenever he got pissed off. He really did act like a grizzly bear being woken up from hibernation, yelling, getting up in your face, trying to scare you. I only made it worse by being my sarcastic self. He was a strange person.

_"Letty, where the hell are you, I told you I'd drive you to the garage, get your ass here! NOW!" _All the messages followed along that line, so I just deleted them all, and all the texts. I didn't want to deal with Grizzly Dom today. I wanted to head over to the Toretto fort and have something to eat. Tony was making burgers today, the ones he made by hand with mushrooms and peppers cooked into them. I couldn't wait.

Dom didn't mind that I was part of him family now, no one did. Vince had come into the family years before I had, so it was easier to mold into them. Mia was more like a sister to me than anything, and Dom was defiantly the annoying big brother. He'd one time kicked Mia out of the car because she insulted the way it ran. It took her promising to wash and clean his car for a month to get back in it. I could get rides in his car just as easy if I wanted to, too bad for him I didn't think his car was worth washing.

My phone went off again, I expected it to be Dom or Mia, but it wasn't. The caller I.D. said it was my dad. I had to options; either answer and listen to him yelling at me, or ignore it and get a beating for it when I got home.

I took option A.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"You're lucky I don't beat your ass for running out this morning." He snarled at me, he was drunk again, figures.

"Sorry, had something I had to get done." I muttered, not really paying attention to the actual conversation.

"Whatever, just stay away from the house tonight, some worker is coming to make sure you really are down with your grandparents. If you show up you'll ruin it." I stayed quiet and watched the streets go by. Dad had come up with this wonderful plan that to pull me out of school he'd say I was moving down to Mexico to live with my grandparents, whom which we haven't spoken to since before I was born. Dad just didn't want me meeting people that would make me go against him. He wanted to watch me and make me do what he wanted, not that I ever did, I'm stubborn. It was a gift.

"Fine, I'll stay at work for the night." Dad thought I worked at some gas station, so I could help out with the bills. In reality, I spent every 'night shift' sleeping at the Toretto's, and working at the garage. Tony paid me for my work, and Dad took that money the minute I got it. What a wonderful father I had. He had no job, mom worked two, and I claimed to work two. He didn't care as long as he had enough to get his damned booze. "I can switch with someone for the overnight shift." I pressed the button for my stop and moved to the exit. "Was there anything else?"

"Watch your mouth kid." He growled. He was like a damned animal, and not a cool one like Dom was, more like a sour alley cat. I knew that if I told Dom, he'd kick his ass, but I also knew the weapons my dad carried, a switch blade, a gun, and a couple of other things scattered over the house. I would never send anyone into that house.

I hung up on my father and turned off my phone. I had five minutes to make it to the meeting spot where Dom, Mia, and Vince would pick me up. Most likely it would start off with Dom yelling at me for not answering him, Mia asking about my day, and Vince asking for some cash. He blew through his cash faster than her father did. He either bought booze, food or car parts. Dom was better with his money; mostly he just bet a good amount then earns triple back at the races.

I just turned the corner to get to the meeting spot when I saw a familiar car drive up beside me. I groaned, I wasn't ready for the yelling yet.

Dom turned the car off and jumped out of it, stomping his way over to me, I couldn't help but make a comment, and it was right in front of me. "Stomping, Dom, very mature." I should have kept my mouth shut. I knew it, he knew it, Mia and Vince knew it, but I just had to have the worst timing for my sarcasm. It was a gift and a curse.

"Shut up, Letty." Vince hissed at me in warning. I really should listen to him, but that wouldn't be any fun.

"Why? I the big bad Grizzly angry I decided not to follow his every command? Or that I decided to have a life other than reading the insane amounts of texts you guys sent me? Oh, and Vince, stop spending your own money and stay out of mine." I pulled a twenty out of my pocket and handed it to him. "I wanted all that you owe me on payday, Vince, all three hundred of it." He looked like he listened, though I doubted he did.

"Letty," Dom finally spoke, it froze me. I knew that voice, he wasn't kidding around. He was pissed off. "Do you have any idea how big of a pain in the ass you are?" He glared down at me. _Don't make a comment about his grizzly face; don't make a comment about his grizzly face._

"Hey, I never had to deal with you texting or calling me in the past, why would I now?" I wanted to hit him. He was glaring down at me like I was some little kid that needed him to tell me what to do. His face was in reaching distance, if he made one more stupid comment, I was going for it.

"I told you I would drive you home, I asked you to meet me so I could talk to you, I called you to ask where you were. But did you listen, answer, or reply? No, cause Letty is too damned headstrong to make things easier, because you're too damned stubborn to do what's easiest." He growled. I was going to lose it soon. I swear I was.

"Last I checked, Dom, you weren't my father. And last you check you didn't give a shit what I did, as long as I was here for work after school." I pushed away from him and slid into the car beside Mia. "And we're going to be late for work, so can we go, or are you going to continue to be an ass?" I turned to talk to Mia, ignoring the shocked look from Vince and the glare from Dom. I was too angry to care right now. I wanted to get to work and be distracted from my shitty ass life. And if Dom would get in the damned car, I could be doing that soon.

Vince was the first to speak. "C'mon, Dom, your dad's going to kill us if we're late for work. He's gotta take Mia to the doc's, remember?" Dom glared at me, but moved to get in the car again. He didn't say anything as he drove the short distance to the garage. Everyone was afraid to talk; Dom was radiating his anger at me, though I didn't understand why. He used to be fine with me, joke around, make fun of me when I made fun of him, then one day he just turned weird on me, I knew why. I'd seen him.

He found out I had a thing for him. He'd heard me talking to Mia about it once.

_(Flashback)_

_ I was sitting on Mia's bed, my back to the door as she told me about this guy she liked, someone a year older than her with a uni-brow. I couldn't stop laughing, Mia had liked a couple guys before, but none of them had one eyebrow. This guy was just ugly, a pizza face. I laughed at her, I couldn't help it, it was just funny. "Letty! Stop laughing" Mia whined. God I hated when she did that, it was really high pitched and annoying. _

_ "Mia," I mocked. "If you don't want me to laugh, like a guy with two separate eyebrows, besides, what did you think I would do, giggle and jump up and down in excitement? Please, Mia, you knew I would laugh." I fell back on my elbows and watched her glare at me. She could be so easy to tease sometimes, no wonder it was Dom's favorite thing to do. I just raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for a reply._

_ "Okay, so I told you who I liked, your turn. I know you like someone, so tell me." I groaned, I didn't want to do this now._

_ "Okay, all I saw is it's someone you know, and he's damned hot." I laughed at her annoyed face._

_ "That's all you're going to tell me?" She glared, this was fun._

_ I nodded, Mia was about to argue, but Tony called her, so she got up and left the room. I dropped down onto the bed and groaned. "If she only knew I like her brother," I laughed, pushing myself off the bed to follow her. _

_ And turned right to look right at Dom standing in the door, "Dom," I breathed, he was just leaning against the doorway, watching me. I swallowed and felt a huge lump forming in my throat. _

_ "Dad wants you." He shrugged away from the door and moved to walk away, but I needed to know if he had heard me._

_ "Dom, wait." I called, running after him, catching him at him room. "D-did you hear what I'd said, back in Mia's room?" I asked, being cautious. Dom just shook his head._

_ "No, I heard something about a guy with one eyebrow, Mia whining at you laughing at her, and that was when I left the area. Dad just asked me to come and get you." He shrugged. If he only knew. He moved off into his room and shut the door, shutting me out with it. _

_ (End of flashback)_

He never treated me the same since, I guessed that he knew but I didn't know for sure, but the random change in how he was around me made me guess that was it. I doubted he'd ever say it though. It had been the same day I'd thrown up in his car. My emotions had been running a mile a minute and I'd been sick a couple of days before.

Dom and I had never been the same, he ignored me, flaunted women in my face, and he just didn't do stuff with me anymore. I missed it, I wish I could take it back, but I couldn't.

Dom pulled into the garage and got out of the car. Something told me today was going to be very long.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Letty's POV_

God, I should've just skipped work, it would have been easier the crap that Dom was putting me through right now. He was barely saying a word to me, sending me the evil eye and giving me orders. He wasn't even saying it semi nicely to me, just would bark at me or scream across the garage. He ordered me around, more than usual. Usually I could deal with Dom being a bossy pain in the ass, he was always trying to prove that he was in charge of me in the garage, even Tony noticed it sometimes, and barked right back at Dom to 'Get it done' himself. But today he was treating me like I was a running dog. "Get the oil pans." He yelled at me. He wanted me to carry all fifty of them across the garage to their spot, after he ordered me to wash every single one of them.

He hadn't let me work on a single car! I wanted to be distracted from the multiple phone calls coming in from my dad, to work! Not sit around and be there personal errand boy. I leaned my head on the wall. I had been at work for an hour and a half, and so far all I had done was wash fifty oil pans, organized the wrenches, and given Vince another twenty bucks. He was up to three hundred and twenty that he owed me; I was going with him when he went to cash his check.

"Letty, move the fucking pans already, they're blocking the way!" Dom yelled. That was it, I was so tired of him yelling at me today and I just wanted to yell back at him.

"Move them yourself, Dom!" I yelled back, moving to the car I was supposed to be working on. The owner was coming to get it in a few hours, and I had almost three hours' worth of work to do on it. I didn't care if Dom was angry with me, but I wasn't willing to risk Tony losing one of his good customers over his stupid bruised pride.

I picked up a wrench and leaned over the car, reached for a part and…

Ouch. That hurt.

I let out a quiet groan and tried to push back the pain, tried to focus on the engine of the car. I almost managed to do it, I almost was in my zone when a six foot five bald annoyance decided to snap me out of it; he grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the car.

"I told you to do it. So go do your job and move the damned pans." He pushed me towards them, but I just glared at them.

"My job? My job is not to run around the garage doing menial things, my job is to work on the cars. A job that you refuse to let me do. Do you want the client to show up for his car and have to wait for a few hours so we can fix it?" I yelled at him. Everyone in the garage had stopped working, just watched as Dom and I stood nose to nose and got ready to stand off for some sort of war fair. Vince pushed himself out from under the car that he was under to watch. A couple of the other mechanics moved to the wall at the far side of the garage to avoid being hit by any flying objects. Dom and I had gotten into some huge fights in the garage before and ended up throwing the same oil pans across the room, hitting both Vince and Mr. T in the head with them. We'd gotten kicked out of the garage for six weeks. That was only last year, and since then we'd fought like there was no tomorrow around the house, at the races, anywhere we got angry at each other, things went flying around. I had been working in this garage for four years, and before that I was here every day with Mia, Dom, and Tony after school.

I used to say that my mom and dad were both at work and I didn't want to stay and home by myself. Tony was more than happy to show me some things about cars, let me work with a few parts, quizzed me about them. Dom hated it. He hated having me there in the garage with him and Vince. Mia got annoyed because I wouldn't be spending time with her, and I would feel like I got it everyone's way. But Tony made me feel at home, it was fun.

Dom was fuming, just glaring down at me. I wasn't overly interested in being nice, so I kept going. "You do not have the right to keep me from doing what you dad pays me to do. If he was here and saw you trying to keep me from doing my job and keeping the client from his car then he'd bust a cap in your ass. I'm close to doing it to you myself!"

"Really, you actually have the guts to threaten me? You, little Letty Ortiz, the girl that weaseled her way into our family has the nerve to threaten me with my father?" He laughed down at me, if he only knew how far that stabbed into me. "You have no right not to do what I tell you to. I could assign one of the other guys to work on that car; I need you to clean up this place because it looks like a pig sty, not because you have any meaning in this place!" I stepped back from him. Now it was on.

"Oh, so the whore of L.A. has some balls left on his dick? What a surprise, I thought you used it all up when you went as low as to sleep with the Tran sister. And if I weaseled my way into your family, then what do you call Vince?" there was a loud 'hey' from across the room.

"Vince has been my best friend since third grade!" He shouted at me.

"And I've been Mia's since grade 1! I have been in her life as her friend and she has been my _sister_ since I moved into this city!" I yelled at him, all the stress I've been feeling over the last few weeks, all the pain in my body just exploded into this large mass of anger that just needed to be released, and Dom was the closest person to yell. "You have no right to say I pushed my way into this family when I was invited into it, when your father invited me here after school when my parents were too busy to see me. Mia invited me to spend nights over at your house, and _you _taught me how to drive a car at the age of fucking 12! So before you say that I pushed myself into your life, or forced myself inside, think about the things that you did to invite me it."

Dom just stared down at me, Vince making bets with the guys about what would happen. Dom was speechless, and I wished that I was done. It was hard to keep up the string of lies and secrets that were involved in my life with the truth that I wanted to give out, "And before you think that I am such a mooch, or that you can order me to do whatever you want me to do, just remember this, I don't do this, any of this, the work, the hanging around, the sleepovers, I do known of for _you._ I do it for Mia, and for Tony. I do it because I owe the two of them something that you could never understand! I owe Mia for creating something that I didn't think I would have here. I never made friends before Mia; she brought me out of my shell by being a social butterfly. Tony gave me a place to go after school and a job to make some money with. You, the only thing you gave me were a quick way to learn how to drive a car, and a place for me to throw up in."

Dom stared down at her and started to speak. "Or did you just want to invade on a nice normal family? You ruined my car, you invade my personal space, and you have the need to work with us! Why can't you just be a normal girl and gossip with Mia and focus on nail polish and other girly things like normal girls do, and stop acting like some love sick puppy around me! It's annoying and I'm sick of it." The garage fell silent as I raised my hand up and punched Dom across the face. Vince made a sound, a couple of the other guys quickly left the garage, and I stormed off from the room.

I went to the changing rooms. I had changed into my overalls when I got here and I just wanted to change and go somewhere. Maybe I could find a place to crash for the night, instead of staying with Mia at her place. I couldn't stand being here for one more minute.

I pulled off my brown t-shirt and threw it into my locker. I stood there in just my jeans and bra as I stared into my locker. I'd hung a few pictures up, a couple of me at the races, one of my jumping off a cliff down in Mexico, one of Mia and myself at a party. We were smiling while Dom took the photo; I still remembered when that was taken.

_(Flashback)_

"_Dom, would you just take the damn picture already? My face is starting to cramp up." Mia laughed as I flung myself over her making a silly face, Dom just rolled his eyes and took the picture. _

_ "There, are you happy? Now can we get out of here before Dad finds out I took two people with me to a party not even I wasn't even aloud to be at." _

_ Letty laughed and pushed herself up. "Alright, alright, let's go."_

_(End of flashback)_

I couldn't remember Dom had done something nice to me just to be nice after that, no motive what so ever, and I missed it.

I sat myself down on the bench behind me and rubbed my eyes. I had a headache again, I've been getting them on a daily bases lately. I reached into my locker and grabbed my Advil, looking at it before taking one. More pictures were on my locker. One of Vince and Dom, Tony and Mia, and me and my mother when I was five; I reached up and grabbed that one. It was taken before we moved here; she was pushing me on a swing set with a smile. My father had taken it, it was the day before he started drinking.

So much for a good memory, I didn't know one that hadn't been ruined before it happened, or after by my father. I ripped the picture in half and threw it on the floor. I blocked the tears that threatened to fall. This was my family, and Dom hated me. He thought I was pushing myself into It., taking over it. I guess that I did, but they had kept me there.

I had no real home, it seemed. Dom didn't want me in his life, and it was his home that I liked to refer to as my own. My house was not my home, never had been. So where do I go from here?

"Letty," it was Vince. He knocked on the door beside the entrance, never stepping inside.

"I'm fine, Vince, I'll be out in a minute." I called reaching for my black shirt and tried to pull it off the hook, but it was stuck.

"If you say so. You want me to give you a ride home?" He called, leaning against the door.

I shook my head to myself. "No thanks, Vince, I'm just going to walk home. I need the time to think." I stood, trying to grab the damned shirt off the hook. How was it so stuck?

Vince stormed into the room. "Its eight miles, Let-"He paused and stared at me. I froze in place and watched as he looked at her. It wasn't my exposed breasts he was looking at, no; it was the bruises below them. "Jesus Christ," He breathed, his eyes were wide. I knew they were dark, nearly black, they spread across my torso, impressions of boot prints and fist marks were imprinted in my skin. My father's ring had made a bad bruise in the middle of my chest.

"Vince, please, I can explain this." I stuttered, moving towards him, my hand stretched out in a plea.

"What happened to you?" He asked, watching the bruises as I tried to grab him and keep him from yelling for Dom.

"It was an accident, I promise. Vince, please don't tell anyone. No! Vince, wait!" Vince ran to the door, and looked for Dom; I knew I didn't have much time, so I pulled my T-shirt off the hook, ripping it across the back. I quickly pulled it on and tried to run past Vince, but he pushed me back into the room.

"DOM!" He yelled.

"What?" I heard him call back, I was panicking. I couldn't face him; there was no way I could come up with a good reason for what had happened.

"Get your ass over here, NOW! It's really important!" I heard shuffling as Vince turned back to me. "Take the t-shirt off, you're going to show Dom, then we're going to show Mr. T, and then we're going to tell the cops." He ordered, walking demandingly towards me.

"Bite me, asshole!" I snarled, trying to run past him and through the door. He caught me and tried to pull up my t-shirt. "No, Vince, it's no big deal. Let me go, Vince!"

"This had better be good, Vince." Dom walked into the room, and looked at us with a question. "Vince what the hell are you doing?" He made it sound like a joke. But I had a feeling today was about to get really bad.

Vince grabbed onto the end of my shirt and pulled it up. "Just, look!"

The silence that followed was very short before and angry Dom yelled. "What the fuck happened to you?!"


	6. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

_Dom's POV_

I saw red. How could this be happening? Why did Letty have so many bruises covering her body? Why did her skin have boot impressions covering her stomach? Was that a ring mark on her chest? Who would do this to her? WHY DIDN'T I KNOW ABOUT THIS?

Letty was sputtering words, trying to explain, but I didn't care. I had three questions to ask her; who did this? When could I kill them/ and how long had this been going on? I couldn't hear any words she was saying, I ordered Vince to go and call my dad and the police while I talked to Letty. Vince left, and I slammed the door shut and glared down at this stubborn little girl, getting answers out of her wouldn't be easy, but I would get them, no matter what.

I sat down in front of Letty watching as she tried to cover the horrid bruises, which was hard considering I'd taken her shirt to examine the bruises better. "Letty, shut up!" I yelled, she shut her mouth and stared down at me with clear fear in her eyes. "Sit." I pointed to the bench in front of me, watching as she slowly moved to the bench, crossed her arms over her stomach and sat with her face down. "Now, here's how this is going to work, I'm going to ask a question, and you're going to answer me honestly. Do you understand?" She didn't say anything, just looked at me. "Answer me, Letty!" I barked, I was in no mood to deal with her stubbornness right now. I wanted answers.

"I understand." She whispered, still not looking at me.

"Good, first question, did you get those in some kind of freak accident?" I knew the answer to that one already, but I didn't want to start off with the hard ones first, I had to open her up to me a little before probing her for information.

"No, I didn't." She whispered back, looking anywhere by at me directly.

"Good. One down, second question, how did you get them?" I could feel my voice hardening, my tone darkening with every word. Letty looked away from me, mumbling something I couldn't hear. "Louder, Letty!" I barked. Bad idea, she jumped back and started to shake. I groaned, pushing myself off the bench and moving to my locker, opening it and pulling open and grabbing my jacket from inside. I kept one there at all times, just in case the weather decided to change suddenly on us. I sat beside her and wrapped it around her bare shoulders, placing my arm around her and pulling her into my side. "Calm down, Letty, I'm just trying to find everything out now before my dad and the cops get here." She rested her head in the nook of my arm; I could feel her emotions fleeing away from her. "Please, Let, tell me what's going on so I can fix it. Please, honey, let me help you."

Letty pulled her head away from me and rubbed her arms. "It started when I was five; my dad had lost his job and couldn't keep up with the bills. He started to drink." She shuddered and I rubbed her shoulder with my arm. "At first, he would just yell at us. He would yell for hours and hours and hours at us, claiming it was our entire fault that things were going wrong. Soon he was never sober, always drinking and yelling. Soon he would just get so angry that he would hit mom, and he would go at that for hours, too. When we couldn't afford to live where we were, he moved us up here. Mom easily got a job, and we were doing better with the bills and things were good for a while, dad stopped drinking, I started school, met Mia, and things got better. But then the landlord had to raise the rent, and we couldn't keep up again, and dad started buying booze."

She shook her head and forced herself to her feet. "At first he would rather die than raise a hand to me. But one day we were told by our landlord if we didn't meet rent that month we'd be evicted. Mom was already working two jobs and dad kept getting laid off, he lost his temper with me and slapped me across the face. I stayed home for a week, just lying in my bed, wanting to cry. I learnt to not do that rather fast, though. The next day, I called him a drunk and he slapped me, so hard." She rubbed her hands across her face, her voice was so angry, she looked like she wanted to hit something, I just hoped it wasn't me again; she could really pack a punch.

"He pushed me to the ground and kicked me again and again, ordering me to cry and beg for forgiveness, but I refused. I just laid there on the ground and took it." She laughed, shaking her head. "I always thought that if he wanted to see someone cry he should go to his parent's graves; let them see the monster he became, their souls would cry to see the person they raised turn into him." She punched the locker, bending it inwards. It was Vince's, I noted. "He would leave me alone for a few weeks, the bruises would heal, and I would be fine. The bruises would heal and I could dress like I always did. Then I'd do something wrong, or he'd get mad and mom was at work, and he would hit me again."

I sat there, knowing she needed to finish what she was saying. "I always just kept getting stronger, spending more time away from home, keeping him as far away from Mia as I possibly could. I would never let her anywhere close to my home, keeping him away from her! I told him I got a job at an all-night gas station to help pay for the bills. Any night that I slept over at the house, or I would say I was staying with a relative for a few nights, or went to a party, or a race, I would say I was working. I gave him some of my check from here to make him believe it, the rest I would save. I was hoping to move out next year, you know, to get away from here." She shook her head again, muttering something about stupid ass men.

"Letty," I breathed, my heart was breaking. This girl was as much as a sister to me as Mia was, and the fact that I hadn't seen it, that I hadn't noticed what was going on was killing me. "Where did you stay where you weren't at our place?" I whispered, she spent a lot of time at my house, but there were some nights I knew she would have stayed somewhere else.

She laughed. "I would use my keys and go to the store and sleep in the back room. I would leave before Janey should up to open. After I turned 10, my dad stopped caring about hitting my mother and just started to attack me, he didn't care about hitting my mom anymore, just me. My mom stopped caring about anything that happened, started drinking too. She blamed me for everything going bad in our lives, so she ignored everything that went on. " I sighed. I noticed something there, I noticed! How had I not connected it? I always assumed Vince had brought girls there to hook up, never that Letty was sleeping there.

"Jesus," I breathed.

"Dad even pulled me out of school this year. He wanted me to be able to work more or clean the house, stay away from bad influences, anything that could steer me away from what he wanted of me. Every time you thought I was at school, or caught a bus to meet you at the corner, I was just around the neiboorhood, having some fun, avoiding my dad, anything to get rid of this pain I could feel digging inside of me."

"Letty, stop." I ordered, standing up and pulling her into a hug. "I understand, I do." I held her close to me, and she finally let the tears fall, but it wasn't a Mia cry, a few tears that fell and nothing more. Letty was never one to cry and cry over something, she was the type to let on or two tears fall, go to the gym and kick some ass. I just held her, I don't know for how long but after a while I could hear my dad storming into the room and demanding to look at her.

_Letty's POV_

I must have told the story a thousand times, to Dom, to Tony, to the cops, to a social worker, to a lawyer, to everyone that wanted to hear the story I told, and I did it in a trance, I didn't feel as if I was alive. Dom sat beside me during the whole time, holding my hand, kept his arm around my shoulders, comforting, and every time someone else asked me about what was going on he would encourage me and tell me to be calm and take it slowly.

When Dom had to go get something to eat, or get some sleep, then it would be Tony with me, and when I finally got to leave the police station Tony took me to his place. The police wouldn't be allowed to arrest my father until a warrant went through with a judge. So until they did, I had to stay away from my house and have no contact with him or my mother. The police were charging my father with assault in the first degree, domestic abuse and something to do with lying about the whereabouts of a minor. They were also charging my mother with endangering the welfare of a child. They were most likely going to both be placed in prison. Once they were arrested, I would be escorted to my house by a police officer to collect any of my things that I wanted.

Tony had told the cops that I could stay at their house while the arrest and trails went through. Since the school year was over in a little over a month I could remain out of school until then, but I was required to enroll for next year. Because I had ties here and no other family, the Toretto's were allowed to take custody of me as a legal guardian once my parents were locked up.

I couldn't feel anything right now.

Tony pulled up the driveway and stopped the car, turning to me as I sat in the backseat with Dom. Mia was inside with Vince, she didn't know what was going on, and I had asked that she didn't find out about anything until I felt ready to tell her.

Tony turned to me and gave me a smile. "I had Vince make up the guest room for you, once we can get your things, we'll personalize it however you want so we can make you feel more at home." He smiled at me; I knew that he meant it. He wanted me to feel at home here, and I knew that I would, once I could feel myself again. This whole day made me feel dead, like I wasn't feeling anything right now. "Dom's going to take you up and Mia will loan you something to sleep in. Your parents should be arrested by the end of tomorrow, and we'll get through this." He looked between me and Dom. "And we'll do it as a family.

I nodded and opened the car door, following them into the house, opening the door to my new home. That's when I heard the yelling down the street.

"SRUPID LITTLE WHORE!"


	7. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

_Letty's POV_

"Letty, its time to go to your place!" Dom called from the bottom of the stairs. I was lying on my bed in the spare room, no, my room now, I guess. The Toretto's place was great, nice and fun, no serious yelling, nobody throwing punches, and everyone was helping me out. I hadn't left the room in a few days, not wanting to face the world around me. I wanted to get used to what was going on in my life, and I think everyone understood that, except Mia who still didn't really know what was going on right now, and I was in no rush to tell her yet.

"Letty?" He called again, but I still didn't move, the last place I wanted to go was into that place, I never wanted to go there again; I just wanted to lie here and sleep. But Dom kept trying to get me out of bed; he dragged me to the garage so I could work, dragged me to the store and got me some treats, and he came to say goodnight to me every night for the last week.

'He's probably trying to make up for not knowing what was going on,' was the only thought that would run through my head as he did all those things. I knew he felt bad, he'd told me a million times. He even let me drive his precious baby once, until I vomited on it again, now he claimed I would never be allowed back in that car for the rest of my life.

He'd said that the last time too.

"Let?" Dom was at my door now, pushing it open and watching me. I was staring at the ceiling, not caring that he was there. I didn't want to go back, I really didn't. "Letty, the cop is downstairs right now, we got to go." He rubbed my leg lightly, trying to encourage me.

"I don't want to go back. Can't Mia just go and get all my things? I'll even make a list." I pleaded, I really didn't want to go back there, I wanted to lie here and sleep, like I'd been doing for the last two days. My dad's visit hadn't helped the feeling of 'safety' for me.

_Flash back_

_ "STUPID LITTLE WHORE!" I felt someone pulling on my hair, dragging me away from the safety of Dom and Tony's presences. "She is MY DAUGHTER, and no matter what, if she involves the cops or not she will always has to come crawling back to me!" He was dragging me away, Dom running after us with murder in his eyes. Tony was on his cell phone calling the cops, but still close behind Dom. "What did you do, huh, slut? Did you sleep with them to get them to take you to the cops? File against me? How many have you spread your legs to, you dumb slut?!" Dom was close enough to throw a punch at my father, causing him to fall back onto the ground. _

_ Dom moved to go after him again, but Tony pulled him back, nodding towards me as I tried to push myself off the ground. My head was sore; I could feel the world spinning around me. "Letty!" He ran over to me and helped me off the ground, at first, I thought it was Dad, so I fought him, pushing and screaming, trying to get away, but Dom just held me to his chest, whispering "It's okay, Letty, your safe, it's okay." Over and over again, I was confused, but soon I was able to make out Dom's face above me as Tony pushed my father away from us._

_ The cops had come, arrested him, and they left, with the order already out to arrest him, they had no doubt that bail would be denied. Dom tried to get me to walk towards the house, but every step I took was shaky and weak. Finally he gave up on trying to letting me walk and lifted me into his arms, carrying me to the house and up to the spare room. I vaguely heard Mia behind us, asking what was going on, what had happened, why there were cops outside but I didn't care. My head was sore, my vision blurry, and I could feel the need for sleep claiming me. I was out before my head touched the pillow._

_ (End of flashback)_

Dom sighed and stood from the bed, moving around to sit beside me, looking down at my face. "Letty, it's a miracle that they're even letting me go in with you. Dad's at work or he would be going, and Mia and Vince are at school or I'd send them. But no one else is allowed in the house but you and one other person." He rubbed my arm, giving me a look of encouragement. "I promise, I will be with you the whole time."

I kept looking at the ceiling. Dom had been staying home with me for the last few days, with the permission of the school. Mr. T didn't want me here by myself and he didn't want Mia missing any days. Once Vince got Mia home from school, both he and Dom would head over to the garage for work. Vince had managed to pay me back everything he owed me, saying I could use it to buy some new things for my room.

"Letty, come on, you don't want to keep borrowing my T-shirts and Mia's shorts for the rest of the year do you? Wouldn't you like to be in your own clothes again?" It did seem appealing, though I liked Dom's shirts; they were comfortable and baggy, nice to sleep in. He'd given me three when I first got here, and now I was up to eight. I would have to give them back, or at least seven of them.

I nodded my head, finally agreeing to get up. I pushed myself off the bed and stood, rubbing my hands over my bare arms. I was only wearing Dom's t-shirt and a pair of Mia's plaid shorts. Luckily Mia and I had the same size feet, so I could borrow a pair of her flip flops while I got my things. Dom picked up a few duffel bags from his room as we passed it and went down the stairs.

There was an officer waiting, smiling down at me kindly. Luckily the bruises on my legs were better, almost completely gone. But the ones that covered by chest were still there, and sore. The cops had to take pictures of them when I was at the station to give to the D.A as evidence that a crime was committed. I had to go to court next month to tell my story to a jury regarding both my parents. Dom had promised that he and Tony would be there for me, waiting when I got off the stand.

"Hello, Miss Ortiz, my name is Officer Grant Duel, and I will be accompanying you to your house to collect your things. Now considering there is still an investigation going on, you will have to collect your things in my presence, and you can only take things from your room, the bathroom, or any hall closets, and after the investigation is over, you can return to collect anything else. Do you understand?" I nodded my head, looking down at the ground. Dom placed a hand around my shoulders and rubbed them, trying to comfort me.

"Can we just go, sir? I know that she wants to get this over with as quickly as possible." Dom hissed at the cop, his voice was harsh, I hoped he hadn't meant to be, but it came out rather rudely.

"Dom, be nice." I muttered, looking up at the cop. "But can we go?" I was pleading; I really wanted to get this done with. I doubted I would ever enter that house again after today, and I wanted to be in and out as fast as humanly possible. The cop nodded and led us out. I got into the car that Dom pointed to, his. I knew his threat was empty. We followed the cop over to my house where Dom pulled up and waited for me. I sat there, staring at the dump, looking for something already worth trying to save.

All I saw was some broken shutters and old wood.

"Letty, I know you don't want to be here, but the sooner we do this the sooner we can leave." He pointed out; I nodded and opened my door, pulling my key out of my pocket. The officer stayed close behind us, but didn't say anything.

I pushed open the front door and stared around me. Was this really how I lived? There were old beer bottles lying around, empty pizza boxes with mold on them, no food anywhere else in the house. I groaned to myself. This place was horrid. I wanted to turn and run, but I needed to get my things. I turned to the stairs and quickly walked to my room. My room was small and barely fit my bed inside it.

Dom's eyes went immediately to the window, narrowing in on the bars that were welded in place. "This place feels like a prison." He muttered.

"It's how he wanted it." I muttered back, turning to him. "Just shove any clothes you find into a bag. I'll grab anything of value." I only wanted a few of my grandparent's things, my inheritance that I hid from my dad in case he decided to sell it.

I pulled up one of the floorboards and pulled out a box. It held everything of value I had, my money and all.

We were in the house for maybe half an hour. I didn't even look at any of the clothes as I shoved them into bags. Dom kept looking my way, smiling at me, teasing me, and just being nice. He was a little shocked to see how many belly shirts I owned, though, his eyes practically popped out of his head.

Finally we got to leave and were back at the Toretto house. It had taken four duffel bags, and I had taken more care with my car posters than with the clothes. Dom complained about having to carry them up the stairs, but I merely gave him a pleading look and he shut up, it was funny, watching him obey. Maybe I could train him like a puppy. That would be the day.

Dom dropped all my things on the floor and leaned against the doorway, smiling at the ground. "Thank god I never have to enter that place again." I muttered, lightly placing my posters on the dresser.

Dom just smiled at me, shaking his head. "Feel better now?" He asked; I smiled back at him.

"Yeah, I do. I never have to take one step into that place again, and once I testify at the trail I never have to look at either of those two people again. Life seems better." I pulled out some tape and unrolled my first poster, placing it over my bed.

Dom just nodded his head, looking around the room. It was weird, being in the room beside his now, usually this room was just a spare.

"So, are you coming to the race tonight?"


	8. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

_Dom's POV_

I don't know why I felt upset when Letty said "No," to going to the race tonight. I wanted her to come and see me race. I was going against Johnny Tran for a huge reward of ten grand tonight. Whenever Letty was there, I usually won the races, and she went to almost every one of them. The one time she hadn't gone was the first and last time I lost to Tran. I didn't want to risk losing again in front of everyone, not when I'd bet ten grand on this race.

"I think I'm just going to stay in and get my room set up, take the whole free life thing one step at a time." I raised my eyebrow at her. She hadn't had a 'free life' before and she'd gone to the races, and I really wanted her there. It would be good for her to see, have fun, dress up, and have a good time. We were meeting up with my friend Leon tonight, too. He wanted to get more onto the car scene, so I invited him to come and watch. Hector was running the race, and they lived beside each other. Hector was giving him a ride in and would chill over at Hector's place for the after party.

"Let, it would be fun. You could hang loose, chill with Mia and Hector. Maybe race a little yourself."

She looked at me like I was crazy. Vince and I had to enter ourselves into a race two weeks in advanced to catch a space. The races only ran that long, enough for the cops to lose our trail if they broke us up, and enough time to repair any damage to cars during the race. "You know I couldn't be in the races, Dom. For one thing, I have no car, and you can't be in a street car race without a car. And second, I don't have enough experience to risk a couple grand on a race that I'd probably lose anyway." She jumped down off her bed and held onto the hem of the t-shirt I'd given her. Damn she looked good in my clothes. I never noticed that she'd begun to grow up on me before, but when you can see the label of a t-shirt being stretched across a girl's chest, you begin to notice the changes.

"Fine, just come through. I need support for the race tonight. I'm going to be going up against Tran for a ten grand pot tonight." I turned to leave her room, knowing that what I had said would make her stop me for more information.

"Whoa, wait a second. You're racing up against Johnny Tran? And you're going for ten grand? Are you insane?" I grinned to myself before turning back to her with a straight face. I knew she was about to try and pull out some information out of me, which I would probably end up giving her, but I wanted to play a little, bring out her fun side. She needed to get out, and more than just to the store or to work, she needed to be around people, and once she was around those people, she'd most likely hit some of them.

"Yeah, he demanded a rematch for last time." I tried to hide my smile at her face. It was a mix of pure anger and excitement. That was Letty.

"And you decided to bring the pot up from two grand to ten? Are you insane? Have you suffered a recent head injury in the last few days, because that would be the only reasonable explanation for this." She crossed her arms over her chest. Damn she was nice looking.

Whoa, where did that come from? This was Letty, pain in the ass, continuous cause of the vomit smell in my car, Letty. Not a chick that I should be thinking about how nice her breasts were, or how much I really wanted to tease and flirt with her right now. "Letty, this dude won't back the fuck off, so I'm going to make him lose all of his money then send him home to his family disgraced. And it would be nice if you would come. Dad is going to play poker with a couple of the guys from work, which means he'll be crashing there for the night. You know he can't hold his liquor worth shit." She smiled, remembering the last time Dad had gotten drunk around us. He'd fallen over six times in three steps.

"But betting ten grand on a quarter mile is risky Dom, even for you. If you lose, I know you don't have that kind of cash lying around." Damn she always had to think with her head, not with the fun side I knew was dying to come out and play. I needed to bring that Letty forward, the one that had disappeared on me sometime between last summer and now. The Letty had been willing to do anything as long as it gave her some adrenaline rush, some sort of rush. She would sneak off to parties with me, go to the races, even poured beer on a cop car and made a run for it once, that Letty had gone away and until she came back then Letty would never be Letty.

My job was to bring her back out. Front and center. "Let, you know you want to come, if not to watch me win, to tell me what a complete fucking idiot I was for making the bet if I lose. Now I know you don't want to miss the chance to get in a good I told you so. You live for them, kid." I saw a flash in her face. There it was, faint and small, but it was there, the need for adventure, the need to prove me wrong. It had been in there ever since she was little, and I knew she wanted to tell me it herself right after it happened, right when I was freaking out over it, or it wouldn't even be worth the shot. "Come on, be my trophy at the finish line."

_Letty's POV_

_ "Be my trophy at the finish line" _God, why did my heart have to skip a beat when he said that? Why did I feel the heat and the _need_ to be just that for him? Why couldn't this stupid feeling of love for Dom just go away? I knew it never would but I wished. I wanted it to go away, because I knew he could never be mine. "Letty," He pleaded.

Wait; hold on, Dom was pleading? He wanted me there that much? Since when did Dom care what I did, no matter what it was? He'd never needed me before, never wanted me to come with him anywhere before, so why was now so different? What was it about now that was so important to him? "Dom, I-"I let out a frustrated sigh, why the hell was he so hard to say no to? Why couldn't he be more like Vince? He was easy for me to say no to.

I ran my hands over my face, thinking it through, I did always have fun at the races, and the parties afterwards were to die for, and I could show Dom how sexy I really could be and try and make him a little jealous, dance with all the guys, flirt, drink, have a good time. Suddenly the races were sounding very good to me. "Alright, I'll go. What time we heading out?" I turned away from him to untie the top of one of the bags.

I could feel the smile on Dom's face as he watched me dump my clothes on the bed and start to go over them for something to wear tonight, if I was going out, I was going to look damned hot. "We leave at ten for the before party at Hector's. The races start at eleven thirty." I pulled up a shirt that was just plain strings on straps. It was white and black, and see through. If I paired that with my leather skirt it might look good.

"Cool, I'll be ready."

Dom left and I smiled, continuing through my clothes for some more options.

_Dom's POV_

Damn this was going to be a good night. With the money I win I could take Letty out and get some good stuff in her room. Right now all we kept in there was a double bed, dresser, end table and side lamp, nothing cool like I knew Letty wanted. She'd already asked Dad to put some old car rims up on the walls as shelves. Her room was going to be bad ass when we were done with it.

Luckily, Mia was staying at a friend's place tonight, a friend that I knew Letty hated. Some racer chaser bitch, too old for my sister to be hanging around, and too much of a slut for me to be interested in; I'd asked Mia time after time to stop hanging out with her, but she was stubborn, and she thought she was a good friend to have. But at least with her out of the house I didn't have to worry about her tonight. I could go out with Vince and Letty and have some fun. Mia was about two years younger than Letty was, and too young to be at the races. I sometimes didn't even want Letty there, but she would always find a way in so I gave up on that case. Letty wasn't stupid, and she knew how to kick a few people's asses when needed. I didn't usually have to worry about her when Vince and I were lining up to race. She knew to either stay with Hector or stay at the finish line.

I entered my room and rubbed over my head. I could feel the stubble starting to form. I'd have to shave it again, I liked the bald look, it looked good on me, and the ladies liked it too. I thought back to the shirt Letty had been holding. Damn that shirt was something I'd seen some other girls at the races wear when they wanted to get laid, and I hoped she wasn't planning on wearing that tonight.

Vince wasn't racing tonight, so Letty would ride with him. I didn't want another vomit explosion in my car. Since it was Friday the garage was closing early and Dad was heading to take Mia to her sleepover, then to his poker game. He wouldn't be home till early afternoon tomorrow, seeing as he couldn't drive with a hangover. It gave us time to get rid of any of ours before he got home. I knew Vince would be a heavy drinker, which was why he was dropping his car off at home and getting Hector and Leon to take him to the party. Letty would come with me after the race. If I won, which I most likely would, I would tell her about our Sunday plans to go get her some crap for her room.

Letty would be drinking, I knew she would. I drank at the parties at her age and I didn't doubt she would. The one time I tried to get her not to drink I'd gone home with a bag of frozen peas on my nuts. I didn't want a repeat of that again. She had a killer knee, but I didn't think her punch to the balls would be as bad, but it was so much worse. I didn't think I could feel that much pain. I hadn't bothered her about the drinking ever since. But Letty drunk was interesting. She danced sober like a sexy woman, but drunk she danced like a clothed stripper. She was a damn good dancer, causing too many eyes to go to her. The last party I had to drag her out of there before someone tried to screw her on the dance floor.

Maybe inviting her to the races wasn't such a good idea.


	9. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

_Letty's POV_

I was tired. The races didn't start for another few hours, so I could get a nap in before. I'd already gotten my outfit picked out and my room organized. I'd already eaten so I wouldn't be bothered till it was time to go, the guys were downstairs cleaning up and getting ready for tonight, so my time was free for some sleep. I set my cellphone alarm for two hours and snuggled into the blankets. I didn't know why I was so tired, I just was. I needed more sleep than I was getting. I would sleep a lot during the day but the second the sun went down I got terrible nightmares, horrid, terrifying nightmares. They scared me to death, they were so real. Many times Tony had woken me up in the night because I was screaming in fear or in pain from my dream. Luckily he was the only one I was waking during the night. I didn't want to cause any more problems for anybody else.

I had only just closed my eyes when I heard my phone go off. What the hell, I set it for two hours! It shouldn't be going off just yet. I reached for it to reset it when I noticed the time flashing across it. I had slept for two hours. I didn't even realize it, I still felt like I hadn't slept a wink. I cursed myself mentally and pushed myself out of bed. I had to get ready for tonight, I wanted to have some fun and make Dom and Vince jealous or protective. That was fun for me, and it took time to get that way, it was easier to make Dom overly protective and Vince.

I picked out a cute outfit earlier. I had chosen my black belly shirt; it was form fitting and hard four slits across the chest and six smaller ones across the back. I made sure to cover the bruises up with some makeup and glitter. I pulled out my white leather pants from the closet and slipped them on. They were sexy and hugged my butt in the best way any pants could. I paired the outfit with a pair of flats that had spikes covering them. I looked good.

I pulled my hair up into a pony tail and did my makeup. I didn't do it light, but not overly heavy. I smiled to myself as I looked myself over in the mirror. I looked great; if Mia was here she'd agree then tell me I should wear heels instead. I didn't realize the time going by till someone knocked on my door, demanding entrance. "Come in!" I called, moving to my closet to look for a coat.

"Hey, Let, you almost ready? We've got to go soon." It was Dom. I was still digging through my clothes so I couldn't see him, and I knew he couldn't see me. Hopefully he wouldn't notice my outfit till we left the house. He hated when Mia or I dressed like the skanks at the races. At least I wore pants with my outfits, not those scraps of fabric they called skirts.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a sec." I pulled my head back to smile at him, just letting him know I was actually ready. He saw the shoulder of my shirt and nothing else, so he smiled back and walked off. I sighed in release; I didn't want him to make me change before I even got to see Vince's reaction. I picked out my white leather jacket and quickly threw it on and zipped in up. The jacket was figure forming just by itself and looked good, but I hated the way it made me look with the pants. I took it off and reached for my black leather instead. It was also figure forming, but looked better with my outfit rather than the other one.

I grabbed my cell phone and keys and left my room. We all knew better than to bring wallets to the races, any form of identification could lead to disaster if we got crashed with the cops. I only had my betting money, phone, and keys. That was all I needed, I knew the guys were bringing their phones, keys and buy in money.

I ran down the stairs to see both Vince and Dom waiting at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for me. "Hey, we ready?" I asked, smiling. I always got excited for the races, they were fun and I always met a couple of new people that I could stand to talk to. Too many skanks for my liking, but I could ignore them if I just focused on the races. Once they started to crowd in and go after Dom I always moved away to go and chill out with Hector and his boys or some of the people from school.

"Yeah, so you're going to be riding with Vince on the way there, and afterwards when we go to the party over at Hector's place you will ride with me so Vince can go and drop his car off and get picked up by Hector. Leon's going to hitch a ride with us so after the race so he doesn't have to wait to get drunk." I couldn't help but laugh. I knew Leon, sort of, he hung around the house sometimes, came to work at the garage a couple times a month when he needed at little money or when we needed extra help.

"Sure, okay, can we go now?" I was anxious to get to the races, especially since Dom is racing a ten grand race. Vince was going for another race, but it wasn't worth as much. I was bringing five hundred bucks for both of the racing bets.

Dom nodded and moved out the door, holding it open for both me and Vince to walk through. "Nice pants, Let, what shirt did you decide on?" He was digging, he hated when I dressed in what I thought was nice for a race. I was going to enjoy it when I got out of Vince's car to show him what I was wearing; he was going to flip out. I needed to flirt tonight, with anyone but Dom.

"You'll see when we get there, Dom." I pushed him away and moved quickly for Vince's car. "VINCE! Move your oversized ass over here and let's get moving!" Dom laughed, but Vince just glared and moved for the car.

I hoped in and waited for Dom to drive off before I unzipped my jacket and watched the house fade away from us as we moved away from the house. "My butt is not that big." Vince mumbled.

I laughed and turned towards him. "Tell you what Vince, when you stop eating two large pepperoni pizzas by yourself, I'll retract my comment." Vince glared over at me and I laughed again. "That's what I thought." I turned my face towards the window. "Vince, do you think Dom would kill me if I went off to talk with a few guys."

Vince whipped his head over at me, but I kept my face away from him so he couldn't look at the flash of hope in my mind. I knew that I couldn't have Dom; it was never going to happen. I knew it, so I was going to try and move forward, maybe find some hot guy to distract me from his player ways. "Fuck yes he'd flip out! I'd flip out; you're staying by the cars with Dom and me, end of story." I laughed to myself. Since when did I listen to them? I didn't care if Vince tried to tie me to a car; I was going to away from the boys to have some fun.

"Vince, you do realize that that's never going to happen, right?" I laughed as he grumbled something about stupid female hormones. "And since when are you guy's stupid male hormones any better?" Dom stuck out his tongue at me, and I howled. He was the older one why did that seem wrong? Anyone who met me and him at the same time would believe that I was the older one.

I pulled off my jacket, feeling warm, and at first Vince didn't notice, but then he looked over and his eyes practically fell out of his head. He jerked the car over to the side of the rode. "What the fuck Vince, are you trying to kill us?!" I screamed at him. He gave me a fucking heart attack! I was going to punch him out at this point.

"What the fuck are you wearing, Letty?!" He was ignoring me, he was going to get protective before we even got to the races. This was so worth it.

"I believe it's called a shirt, Vince. I thought it was a better way to go then wearing star stickers over my nipples and going to the races that way, wouldn't you agree?" I tried to hide my smile, but the look on Vince's face was pure horror.

"Not the image I wanted in my head, Letty. We are going back to the house and you are changing." He was about to pull out onto the highway when I spoke up.

"No, we are going to the races so I can have some much needed fun in my life. Vince, come on, I want to have some fun, meet some people, and punch a skank or two." I pleaded. I hadn't been to a race in months, it was hard to get away from my father, and if I ever did manage to get out of the house, he'd find me before I even made it out of the neighbourhood.

Guilt flashed through my mind. My parents were sitting in a jail cell right now, and I had to go and testify against them in a month. And here I was getting ready to find someone to hang out with at the races, and arguing with Vince over whether we could go. "Vince, please." I said once more, looking down at my feet. Suddenly I didn't feel like going anymore, but I needed to. I couldn't sit around all day regretting what I've done to my family, and like Dom had said, I needed to have fun.

Vince groaned and rubbed his eyes. I knew he was debating what to do, but I knew he wanted to see Dom's reaction. "Fine, we'll go." He pulled back into the traffic and carried onto the races. "When Dom tries to kill you, though, I am not going to help you." He promised.

I smiled and shook my head. "No problem."

_Dom's POV _

I looked around the crowd for Vince and Letty. They should have arrived by now and I had to race soon. I wanted Letty here for the race; she was my good luck charm. I had a bad feeling though. Letty hadn't let me see what she was wearing before we left, which I learnt from experience that meant that I was not going to like what she was going to wear tonight. I could feel that I was going to be pissed about it when she got out of her car.

Finally I could hear the sound of Vince's car coming through the crowd. It was about time. All cars had to be parked at the side while we waited for the race to start. Tran was waiting for Hector to call our race, and then shortly after it was Vince's. When I had gotten here the location had already moved from the meeting point to the racing zone. Letty had taken to long getting ready. I just hoped that she'd still be able to place a bet on who would win our races before it was too late.

Vince parked beside my car and said hey to me before walking over to Hector, who stood three cars past me, to pay for his race. When Letty stepped from the car, I saw red.

What the fuck was she wearing?


	10. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

_Letty's POV_

One look at Dom's face and I knew. I knew that I needed to do two things. One, find someone to go and talk to, and fast. And two, give him a smug smile and walk away with as much confidence as possible. He looked pissed. His eyes had run up and down my outfit over and over as the look on his face had developed. It was murderous. I wasn't scared of him; I could take whatever he tried to give me.

I think.

I quickly spotted Hector and moved to him so I could place my bets on Dom and Vince's races. I could feel Dom's presence as he walked over to me. His glare left a tingling feeling on the back of my neck, I knew this feeling too well. He was going to kill me. He was going to drag me home and lock me in my room until I promise not to dress like this again. I never would agree, so I'd die in my room. Not literally, but in some sense. I liked how I looked, I was having fun, enjoying life, and Dom was not going to ruin that for me.

Hector's eyes went over me and a small smile went over his lips. Dom must be really angry, because one look at his face and Hector went running. I groaned silently to myself, maybe this wasn't such a smart idea, but I couldn't turn back time so I had to deal with it.

I turned around to look at Dom, keeping my face completely sure. I wanted to seem confident and sassy, like always. He was fuming. I don't think I'd ever seen that face on Dom before; he looked like he was going to shoot someone, or run them over with his car. His eyes was pulled down and pushed into his typical Dom glare. I didn't like that look, it was not one you wanted to be the cause of. His chest was practically growling as he breathed in and out. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to play this game, Vince was right. I might of played with the fire too much.

Too late to turn back now; I might as well go through with it.

"What do you want, Dom?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him. His race was coming up soon, so he only had a few minutes to chew me out before he went and gained the adrenaline rush that would be my end. I smiled to myself, well; I might as well enjoy my night while I could.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" he growled down at me, his eyes shooting fires. I caught a glance at Vince staring at us from behind him, a small smile on his face, shaking his head. I wanted to laugh; he made that face whenever I cooked something healthy for him to eat, like a salad, or that time when his mom found porn under his bed. He always made that face. Right about now I wanted to punch it off of him.

"I'm wearing clothes, Dom, same as you." I tried to walk past him to go somewhere else, but he caught me and pushed me back. "What the fuck, Dom?" I glared at him as he pushed me against the car behind me.

"Those are not clothes, those are stripper rags." I stared at him. I thought I looked great. Yeah, my shirt was a little short and the slashes were a bit risky but I thought I looked hot, and with the leather pants I went from hot to smoking.

"I'm wearing more than your skanks are wearing. Those two bimbos you were standing with are wearing what can be only classified as bathing suits." I pointed the two women leaning against his car. His head snapped around to look at them. Like he hadn't noticed them while Vince and I were making our way over here, he was just trying to play the concerned chaperone with me and I wasn't going to have it. All feelings of regret that I had felt left me, leaving only the shell of a hardened, angry woman who wanted to rebel. Also known as Dom's worse nightmare.

Tonight would be more fun than I thought.

"They might be wearing shorter clothes, but they are way older than you are, Let, and don't have to answer to my dad when word of this reaches him. Go and put on your fucking jacket now or I swear to god I will make you wear mine." I laughed. Straight out laughed at him. He had no right to order me back into my clothes, and I wasn't going to let him think that he could.

"Tell you what Dom, I'll put my jacket on when you go over and ask Johnny Tran to fuck your ass. When I see that, then you can have all the rights you want to demand me around and order me to wear what you want to see me in. And seeing as you would never in your life do that, I guess this conversation is over." He looked like he was about to yell back at me, but Hector yelled for him and Johnny to get their cars. It was time for the race. "Go, I'll stay and be your 'trophy' like you wanted." I thought back to those words. He had been so hopeful about me being his trophy earlier, now I doubted it. I tried to push past him and walk over to a few people when he grabbed my forearm and looked down at me.

"You're still my trophy, Letty. I'll see you at the finish line." He let me go and walked off, leaving me staring after him as he jumped in his car and drove down to the starting line. This race was going to be fast, and I was standing right in the middle of the lane.

I moved over to beside Vince, where he raised an eyebrow at me as I sat on the hood of his car. "What?" I asked, he was glaring at my ass on his hood.

"One, butt off the car, Letty, and two, I'm surprised Dom let you out of that fight alive." He pulled me off his hood and I gave him a look. Boys and their toys.

Vince moved off to talk with some sluts a couple of cars away, and I noticed Dom's friend Leon come over to me. "Hey Let, how's it going?" He leaned against Vince's car with me, giving me a grin.

"Just fine, I love having the wrath of Dom on me right when I get to the races. Makes the whole night just fly by." I was being a bitch and I knew it, but Leon and I joked around like this whenever he was around.

"Oh, well of course it would, who wouldn't love an ass chewing of Dom's size." I laughed. Leon knew how to stay on the good side of a conversation that was for sure. "You heading to the party tonight over at Hector's place? It's supposed to be awesome." I smiled. A party and alcohol sounded really good right about now.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Leon, trust me." I turned my attention back to the race as some slut walked out to signal the start of the race.

It was over quick. Johnny Tran didn't stand a chance against Dom, no one did. Ever since Dom got into racing before he even had his licence he was winning these races. He'd only ever lost once, shame I didn't get to see it. It was one of the few times my Dad had caught me sneaking out and I couldn't get away and make it to the race. I would have loved to see the look on Dom's face when that happened.

Dom was smiling like an idiot as I made my way over to congratulate him on his newly gained ten grand. He got lucky, nothing else. That's what I kept telling myself. He was going to be a smug ass for a couple of days now.

I came up in front of him and he finally noticed me. I expected another dirty look, but instead he grinned down at me, lifted me up and swung me in the air. I was caught off guard so I grabbed onto his shoulders to keep my head. "Whoa!" I gasped out; he brought me down into a tight hug.

"Told you that you were my trophy." He grinned, leaned in and placed his lips quickly to mine.

It was a quick and hard kiss. At first, I was shocked, almost tempted to punch him out. Then he placed me down and I couldn't stop smiling. Vince was beside me and his eyes were wide as plates. I'm sure mine were, too.

"Dom!" Someone called, and I turned to see some slutty assed girl pushing her way through the crowd and threw herself into Dom's arms. He caught her in a hug and grinned down at her. "Baby, you were awesome!" Then she leaned in and kissed him.

And he kissed her back.

I could feel my heart break into a thousand tiny pieces.

"Letty?"

Someone calling me? No, I don't care. It doesn't matter right now.

He kissed me, then went and made out with some skank, like I was one of them.

"Letty, come on, we need to go." Was that Vince?

I really don't care.

Dom's still making out with this slut, with me standing right there, looking at him. "Let's head out to the party!" He calls, grabbing hold of the slut and another slut's waist. He's heading back to his car, and I have to ride with them.

Fuck that shit.

I walk towards Vince's car and jerk the door open before slamming it. Vince already had his race, I think, and even if he hasn't, I don't care anymore. I just wanted to go home and get out of these clothes and get this make up off my face. I guess if I dressed like a skank, Dom saw me as a skank. I wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Letty, what are you doing? You're riding with Dom so I can drop the car off at home." Vince pointed out as he slipped into the car, but he wasn't kicking me out. He started the engine and drove away from his spot.

"Good, while you're there you can drop me off." I grabbed my jacket up off the floor and roughly pulled it over my shoulders before zipping it up to my neck. I didn't want to go to that damned party right now, I wanted to go to bed and sleep. I was starting to get feeling back throughout my body. I couldn't pin what it was that I was feeling. Dread, despair, rage, I just didn't know what it was.

So I was going with nothing.

I could feel the pain though. The pain that was circling around my heart. I didn't give a fuck who or what Dom did, but to kiss me and then go straight to some slut twenty seconds later hurt. Did he expect me to be okay with it? To shrug it off like any of his other sluts did?

I was not and never would be a skank or slut, and I was just plain pissed off at him. But I was in so much pain. I didn't even notice as the city passed by us, or when Vince pulled onto our street and headed for the house. The sooner we got there the better, I could go and get some food and some sleep. Tony had me reading up on all the stuff I've missed this year, maybe I could do that tonight, whatever it was I just needed some form of distraction.

Vince parked his car two doors down, at his place. His mom was never around, she was usually at the hospital and his dad had died a few years back. He was sleeping at the house a lot lately, I guess his mom's in the hospital again. She has some form of cancer that I can't remember right now, and honestly I didn't care. I got out of the car and started back to the house. I needed some sleep.

"Letty, wait!" Vince caught my arm and turned me towards him. "Are you sure you want to go home? There's no one home, and I don't feel right leaving you here alone." That was Vince, a usual douche until his conscious kicked in. I just shook my head at him.

"I'd rather be here alone then at some party watching Dom treat me like just another slut, Vince. I just want to go to bed." I whispered, and I saw the pain pass over Vince's face. He was like my brother, my family, and he hated seeing what Dom's done to me, I could see it. He would be yelling at him later. Either tonight or tomorrow, knowing Vince he'd be doing it.

"Letty, I don't think he realised it was you. The adrenaline of winning a race can affect your mind, honey." Honey. He only called me that when he knew something bad was going on. He'd called me that for the first few days after my folks were taken away. It didn't have the same comforting affect tonight though.

"I know, Vince, that's the problem." I pulled away from him and moved for the house. I needed some sleep.

Hector's car pulled up just as I made my way up the front steps and pulled my keys from my pocket. "Letty, what the hell, girl, you not coming to the party?" He called. I tried to give him a nice smile, but failed.

"Naw, man, too tired." I opened the door and walked inside.

I'd never seen the place so quiet. It was strange to listen to the complete silence around me. Usually you heard Mia mumbling in her sleep, Tony's snoring, and sometimes you'd hear Dom's latest skank.

Apparently that was my role tonight.

I closed the door and locked it and slowly made my way up to my room. I could feel the weight of the night pushing on my body, calling me forward into my sorrow. I let the first few tears fall, hoping the small release would help, but it only started the flood. Once the first two fell, the rest came. It seemed that no matter what I did, the tears wouldn't stop.

I didn't even bother changing my clothes, even taking off my shoes. I just pulled back my covers and dropped into my bed, wrapping myself into my covers and let the screams of pain release into the silence of the house.


	11. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

_Letty's POV_

I think I was in bed for about an hour before I stopped crying, before the pain finally was buried deep enough inside me that I could feel the other emotions screaming to be set free. Anger, rage, and everything was just boiling up inside me. I wanted to get back at Dom, but I couldn't do it here while he was at that party. So I dragged myself out of bed and checked out what sort of damage I've done to myself. My eyes were a little puffy and my nose was red, but other than that I was okay.

I changed my pants, switching front the leather pants to short jean booty shorts with spikes on them. I took out one of my more slutty tops and slipped it on. It was basically just strings attached to two pieced of fabric that landed right beneath my breasts. I added some eyeliner to my face and fixed my foundation and added some powder. I was going out for blood, out to piss him off. He'd hurt me, so I was going to hurt him. I put on my only pair of heals that Mia had bought me for Christmas and looked myself over. Not bad.

I curled my hair and called Vince to come and get me, warning him not to ask any questions when he picked me up. He was just to come over, drive me to the party and let me blow off some steam.

I think Vince's eyes just about fell out of his head when he got there. I wasn't horrible at walking in heels, but I had brought some flats with me just in case. I had left the jacket at home and brought a purse with me. It was big enough for me to throw my heels into later when my feet were killing me. As always, I only had my phone, keys, and some money. I was hoping to get drunk tonight, so I'd more than likely crash at Hector's.

Vince was silent as we started off for the party. I was just sitting there watching the streets go by as we went, trying hard to bury all of the pain I was feeling. I kept reminding myself how angry I was, how pissed Dom had made me. I channeled anger from other events, like at the garage, or when I had walked in on him fucking some blond at work, anything that would fuel my rage and make sure I wouldn't regret this.

"Dom was pretty mad that you ditched him over at the races; and that you didn't come tonight." Vince informed me as we turned onto Hector's street. I kept looking out the window, keeping my voice calm and steady.

"After what he pulled he has no right to be angry with me." I muttered as I moved to open my door. Vince caught my hands quickly before I could, though.

"Wait, just listen to this first." I looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "I asked Dom if he knew why you were mad, to see what he'd gathered from the situation. As far as he thinks, he just picked you up, called you his trophy, and then kissed some chick beside you. He doesn't think he kissed you. The adrenaline from the race if fucking with his mind, Let, are you sure you want to do this?" That look, the look on his face was begging for me to tell him to take me home. But as much as part of me wanted to do it, to go home and lay in my bed, some part of me really wanted to get this done, to show that I wasn't hung up over Dom and that I never would be.

"There is nothing more that I want to do than this Vince, so don't try and pull me out of it." I shoved open the door and stepped from the car. I turned to look at Vince as he quickly got out and tried to get around the car. "Whatever I do, Vince, don't get in my way tonight." I warned.

I walked off towards the house, people outside wolf whistled me as I walked through the grass and over to the front door. Tonight was going to be messy, I knew it, Vince knew it, and everyone who saw Dom's face as I walked through the door knew it.

Payback is a bitch, Dom.

_Vince's POV  
_"_Whatever I do, Vince, don't get in my way tonight._" Her voice ran chills down my spine. This was not the same girl I had dropped off an hour ago, fighting the tears that I saw trying to escape her eyes. This was not the Letty I knew. For one thing, she was in heels, and Letty would rather be caught dead then wear shoes like that. She was out for blood tonight, and she was going to cause a lot of pain for the both of them to get it.

_Dom's POV  
_I didn't think she was coming to the party. She had ditched me at the races, leaving me wandering around looking for her before I finally got a text from Vince saying he was driving her home. Why the hell was he bringing her home? She had been so excited just to go to this party. I wanted to tell her on the way here about what I was going to do with the money; I knew she would love the gift. But she had left me.

Right now, though, I wished she had stayed at the house. She had changed her outfit. The pants she was wearing before were too much for me to handle, but now she was in jean booty shorts, shorts I had never in my life seen Letty wear. And her top, it was a dishrag that had been sliced into a million pieces. It was missing the bottom half, for crying out loud. She was wearing heels, too. Since when did Letty own a fucking pair of heels?

She didn't even search the room for me like she usually does when she comes to a party; she simply went straight to the row of full beers on the side and downed one in three large gulps. She was fucking drinking too?! Where the hell was the Letty from earlier, the one excited for the races, the one who needed to be cheered up over her family? This wasn't right, something bad had happened.

I tried to think back to the races, she'd been fine. Put me in my place about her last outfit, and then I went to race. After, she'd come over and I called her my trophy. I kissed a few girls, counted my winnings, and then started looking for her. Nothing popped out at me that wasn't my usual behavior. So what had changed?

Who was standing in front of me?

_Letty's POV_

I didn't even look for Dom, just downed a beer and put my purse by the stairs. I didn't have anything overly important in there anyway, and I had a feeling both Dom and Vince would be watching me very carefully tonight anyway. I looked to the dance floor and looked some guys over. Not too bad, nothing that would hurt to dance with.

I picked up another beer and moved over to start dancing. I just wanted to forget everything that was going one, everything I had gone through. Beer and dancing seemed like a good cure for that.

I started grinding with some tall guy, not bad looking, I was sure I'd seen him around sometime, but right now I didn't care. I just danced and drank the night away. I must have been on my fifth beer before I was falling over my shoes straight to the floor. I laughed at myself. I was not doing so well on the dance floor it seemed.

"Damn, girl, you can move." The guy commented, picking me up off the floor. I fell into him and pressed my lips to his neck. Take that, asshole. I could feel three pairs of eyes burning holes into me. One, I knew, was Dom, the other Vince. I wasn't sure about the third. Could be Hector, maybe Leon, but whoever it was, they were doing the same thing as the other two. They weren't enjoying their night while I was having a great time.

"I have an idea." I pulled back to look the man in his face, he grinned, probably thinking I wanted to go upstairs or something. Instead, I let go of him and walked over to the coffee table. Still holding my beer, I got on top of the table and started to dance. Cheers went out through the crowd and I downed my beer and dropped the bottle to the floor. Damn this was fun, why didn't I drink more often?

I was shaking my hips and moving to the music when I finally caught sight of Dom. He was moving through the crowd, trying to get to me. Too bad I didn't want him too. Vince was being good and listening to what I told him before, but I knew it wouldn't last much longer, I knew he would help Dom out soon.

Soon the two of them would pull me away from my fun. Dom was already at the table, yelling up at me. "Letty, get down, we're going home." I glared down at him as I shook my head, still dancing to the beat. Sorry, Hector, but I ruined your table with my shoes. "Letty, let's go!" Dom grabbed hold of my hand as I whipped it away from him and pushed him back.

"Go away, Dom, I'm having fun." I backed away from him as my hands traveled over my stomach before I dropped and opened my legs on the table, circling my hips as I came back up. My hands traveled up my body and gripped the hem of my shirt before I ripped it over my head and waved it around.

That was when Vince stopped listening to me.

Dom jumped up on the table and covered my body from view of anyone else. Vince was close behind him as Dom ripped off his jacket and threw it over my shoulders, forcing my arms through the holes as he covered me up. He jerked up the zipper and passed me over to Vince, who grabbed me quickly and dragged me for the door. I didn't want to go, so I fought against him, yelling and screaming at him.

"Come on Letty, we've got to get you home. You're going to have a killer hang over as it is." Vince was trying to hold me, but I broke free and picked another beer from someone in the crowd, downing it before either of them could catch me again. Hector had joined us, trying to clear a path as Dom took me from Vince and lead me for the door. I was still yelling, clawing, fighting, and screaming at him to let me go, that I wanted to keep partying.

"Letty, stop it already!" Dom finally shouted at me. I didn't want to be yelled at by him so I jerked away from him and turned to glare.

"No, I want to have some more fun. Let me go back inside." I tried to walk past him, but Dom scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder. I kicked and punched him, and ordered him to put me down, but when he did, it wasn't onto the ground, but in his car. "I don't want to go home yet!" I complained. Dom threw my shirt into the car, mumbling something about 'too bad' and slammed the door.

"Here's her purse, man." I heard Hector say to him, handing over my bag.

"Thanks, Hector." Dom muttered back to him. I was only seeing the back of him, and I didn't like it. I wanted to see his anger.

"What's up with her tonight, man? That was not the Letty I know." Hector nodded his head towards me, his face was concerned.

"I don't know, Hector, but I will find out." He stomped around the car and threw himself into the driver's seat. "Here's your purse." He threw it at my feet before starting the car and pulling out. I waved to Hector and grinned to myself. I actually had fun, who knew my night could go from so horrid to great? It must be killing Dom.

"You're such a party pooper, Dom, I was enjoying myself." I complained, closing my eyes to all the bright colours around me.

"No, Letty, I'm not. I'm just not into seeing a fourteen year old girl strip in front of a bunch of guys, most of which were almost in their twenties. What the fuck were you thinking?" He looked over at me as I grinned.

"I was thinking, what could I do to make Dom so angry that he would feel as bad as I do right about now?" I mumbled. I wasn't even able to understand what I was saying. And from the look on Dom's face right now, neither did he.

I would probably never tell him what happened tonight; only make him wonder and guess. I'd make sure Vince stayed quiet, and I would learn how to bury my feelings from him. I didn't want to feel like this ever against, I didn't want to feel this kind of hurt when Dom went out and did something that he always does, I don't want to love him anymore!

But that was the problem, I did love him, and I always would. But he would never love me, no matter how hard I tried to make it happen, I would always just be little Letty from down the street, who now lives in his house.

Life's such a bitch.


	12. Chapter 11

The secret chapter 11

_Letty's POV_

"I am never drinking that much again." I muttered as Vince handed me a bag of frozen peas. I placed them calmly on the table before pressing my face into them, moaning as the movement rocked my brain around in my skull. How many beers did I have? Eight? Nine, maybe, it didn't matter, it was never happening again. I hoped that anyway, because my brain felt like some had just rammed a twelve inch nail down the center of my skull and every few minutes started to tap it harder and harder.

God, why was it only nine am? Why couldn't Vince let me go to back to bed? He of course had to wake me up so I could work off my hang over before Tony got home yet he wouldn't let me have any coffee until he talked to me.

"You shouldn't have been drinking in the first place, Let, what were you thinking?" Vince shoved a plate of eggs bacon and fruit at me. I sent him a starting glare which turned into a wince as I heard a door slam upstairs.

"Ouch." I muttered and got up off my chair to walk around Vince and grab a coffee mug from the upper cupboard. I pushed Vince away from the coffee pot and grabbed it greedily. Vince sent me a dirty look and I just gave him one right back. If you want to lecture me about drinking, then you better let me have some coffee so I can listen to it." Vince continued to glare at me, but let me go past him with my cup and back to my seat. The first sip was enough to withstand the pounding in my head. I wasn't going to even try and add anything to my coffee, knowing having to mix it together would create another pounding in my brain. "And, to answer your question, I was angry at Dom. He treated me like a skank and I thought that if that's what he thought I was, then he got to see what a skank does after he treats them horribly. It might have back fired." Another slam upstairs, my head felt like it was going to explode.

"Letty," Vince rubbed his eyes, probably remembering how I had felt when he had dropped me off at home last night. "I know that it hurt you and what Dom did was a horrible thing. But even you know that adrenaline does stuff to a person's mind that they might not even realize. It's not to say that what he did wasn't wrong, but you took it over bored, Letty. You took your shirt off in front of a bunch of guys that were all at least three years older than you."

I grimaced, picking up a grape and placing it in my mouth while pushing the peas against my temple. I'd forgotten about that! "Yeah, I know that, Vince, thank you for stating the obvious." I groaned as Vince dropped his own plate on the table. "Vince, I beg you, quieter!" I rubbed my temple that wasn't being covered by the peas.

"If you want quiet, don't drink nine beers." He scolded, scarfing his own food down quickly. I muttered something over him being a bottomless pit. I finished off the small fruit on my plate then pushed it away. I wasn't very hungry; I wanted to back to bed. I heard Dom yelling at something in his room and groaned inwardly. I did not want to face him right now. I was still angry at him, and at the same time I was overly ashamed of myself for how I acted last night, not that I would tell him that.

I knew I had to change how I act around Dom, if they thought I was a sarcastic bitch before; they would be surprised for what I was going to turn into by tomorrow. I couldn't let anything happen to jeopardize what had grown in my life; I had gained a family and couldn't risk losing it. It was better than any other family I could ever have, and I was going to do my best to keep it.

"Look Vince, it won't happen again, I promise. Besides, I am throwing out those damned shorts anyway." I pushed my hair back from my face and glared down at my plate. I really didn't want to eat, and if I knew anything about the guys it was that they would force me to eat every last piece of food on that plate, no matter how much I wanted to vomit. "I'm going back to bed to sleep off this hangover." I pushed away from the table and began to move out of the kitchen.

"Letty, you've barely eaten anything." He scolded me. I groaned. I wanted to get upstairs before Dom came down to yell at me. I wanted to at least put that off for another few hours.

"Vince, I have the hangover of the year, so I am going upstairs to sleep it off before Tony gets home." I was about to move but paused to turn back to him. "Vince, I need you to never tell Dom about the kiss last night. I don't want things to get awkward between us." He simply looked at me, but he nodded his head slowly. "Thank you, now I need to go get rid of this headache."

"You don't want the headache; don't drink so much at a party." It wasn't Vince who said it, though; it was Dom as he jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen quickly. "You should have thought about that before you down nine beers in under an hour." He nodded hello to Vince and moved for the fridge to grab some milk. I groaned to myself, knowing I couldn't leave now. He was probably going to at me for last night. "Did you eat?" He called over to me.

"Yeah, I did." I leaned against the door frame, waiting for a moment to run away from this conversation.

Vince grimaced at me. "No you didn't, you ate eight pieces of fruit and a cup of coffee." I glared at him.

"That's not eating, Letty. Sit down." Dom pointed at the chair I was previously sitting in. I shook my head. Dom stood and stared at me from where he stood. "Letty, you had nine beers last night and threw most of them back up when we got home. Eating eight pieces of fruit is not having breakfast, its getting the after taste of vomit out of your mouth." I wanted to shoot him right now. It wasn't his right to tell me what to do!

Whoa, where the hell had that come from?

"Dom, I'm tired and Vince woke me way too early for my liking and I want to go back to bed already! Let it go and let me go sleep off this hangover." I watched as Vince smiled to himself and shook his head. "What time is Tony and Mia getting back at?"

Dom groaned, shaking his head and rubbed his bare scalp. "Around one; after Dad takes her out for lunch." I nodded and turned away from them, moving for the staircase and slowly climbing up to my room.

I closed my door and pulled my covers over to climb into my bed. Sleep was just what I needed, and then when Tony came back I'd talk to him about working full days at the garage to distract me from everything going on right now.

I closed my eyes and cuddled into my pillow, hoping this annoying pain pounding through my brain would go away.

_Dom's POV_

Damn, I really wanted to yell at her about last night, but I couldn't when her eyes were so blank. Her eyes were glazed over like she wasn't even in the same space as we were. I turned to Vince to see him grabbing at Letty's plate of food and scarfed it down. Man, he was a bottomless pit.

"She say anything to you?" I asked him as I moved for the coffee pot. I hadn't slept at all last night. I'd spent a good amount of time keeping Letty's hair back as she threw up in the toilet and the trying to get her into bed. She spent most of that time screaming at me and calling me horrible names. I wish I knew what I had done to her to make her so pissed at me. I had pulled her out of parties before and she hadn't been a fraction to as mad as she was last night. She had been swearing, cursing, threatening to chop off a couple very important pieces of my anatomy.

She was fine before when we'd left for the races, and she looked really good at the races, too. She'd even told me off, which was something that both she and Mia did to both Vince and I regularly. They always dressed in ways that they knew we hated to make us angry before a race. It was nothing new. She was actually dressed much better than any other women at the race, she at least wore pants. And at the party, she was still dressed better. Her shorts had at least covered her butt and she wore a bra under her top. A few girls at the party last night had only worn a bra to the party! Some of the chicks were hot, but not enough to actually get over how slutty they looked.

"No, nothing, I'm not sure what's wrong with her." I nodded and turned to grab my mug. I left to go to the living room to watch television. I needed to think over what was going on with Letty. Something wasn't right with her, and I could feel it. She wasn't being herself; she was closed off, snappy and overly moody.

She wasn't like this when her 'time' came. Mostly she threw punches. It was the only time she actually didn't attempt to avoid being in a fight with someone else, she was usually good at that, I could usually talk her out of most things when she was that pissed off, but now she was hard to get a read on.

But how could I saw that since I had been so far off on how her home life had been.

This was her home now, though. I had enough trouble dealing with Mia when she was in a weird mood, usually I could handle her though. Letty on the other hand was mean, she threw her punches and pulled her knee up. Last time I pissed her off, I had been walking crouched over for a week. Luckily she was too drunk to actually get a good aim on my junk. She'd attempted a few punches, but I blocked them easily.

"TURN DOWN THE DAMNED T.V!" Letty yelled to me and I smiled. First major hangover, I remember that. I had drank almost half a keg after my first race and woke up feeling like the entire world was hitting me in the head at the same time over and over again. Dad had noticed it and decided to take me into the garage to work that day. God my head had pounded for hours until he finally let me go home.

"YOU WANT THE T.V. TURNED DOWN, DON'T DRINK NINE BEERS!" I was not going to make this easier for her. I had warned her multiple times. If you drink, then you have to suffer the effect of me and Vince being an asshole when you have the hangover in the morning. I had it, Vince had it, and Mia will have it, so does Letty.

I tried to go over in my mind what could have caused the change in Letty last night. Maybe her father had called, or she had ran into someone she didn't want to talk to, but either way she had changed and I was going to find out what had happened.

No matter what I have to do, I was going to fix this.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_Letty's POV_

Monday's at the garage were never fun, usually busy with cars we hadn't finished on Friday and all the new ones that came piling in. Of course, Tony was being the boss today, so he was yelling wanting us to pick up the pace. I was working on this ford pickup whose engine had crapped out and was almost not worth fixing. If I could I would tell the owner to drag it to the junk yard and buy a new truck. "Letty, hurry up with that truck we have seven other cars to get done today." Tony yelled at me from across the room. I groaned to myself, this truck wasn't even worth trying to fix.

"Tony, this truck is a piece of shit, there is no way for it to be fixed properly. I can't see a way for this truck to be fixed without him having to come back in in three days." Tony walked over to me and leaned over the truck. Looking through the engines parts, he groaned. Either this truck was going to take a few days to fix all the problems with this truck or have a few extra people working on it.

"Wow, this thing is horrible." He muttered, checking the hoses and spark plugs. Nothing was in good shape and it was slowly dying out. "Let me call the owner and see if he will agree to a total engine work up or something." He pushed away from the truck and started back towards the office. "Letty, take a break, you haven't had one all day." He called out.

I groaned I really didn't want a break today; I wanted to keep working and stay distracted. Dom and I have been avoiding each other all weekend, the only time we actually saw each other was at dinner, and even then I didn't look at him and we didn't speak to each other. He would go out and bring back some skanks, and I would head out back and work on the family truck. One of Tony's bad purchases, he wanted all of us to work on it and sell it for a good profit.

Work was a good distraction for everything, so I ignored the order for a break and kept working on the primary problem for the time being. I checked the time, it was almost three forty five, the guys would be here in a little bit for work, and it would get weird. Vince is always trying to get Dom and I to talk.

Ugh, I wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day. I had decided to change how I act around the guys and started going with Vince whenever he went to the gym. He went three times in two days, if I didn't know any better; I'd say he was trying to flirt with some of the chicks there. He tried with this one girl, but strikes out almost immediately.

I looked back up at the time. Five more minutes and the awkwardness would start. I needed to focus on work and hiding my feelings from both Dom and myself. The sooner I forgot what I felt for Dom the sooner I could stop feeling the hurt that continued to hit me. Every time I saw Dom with some skank, or he made some joke about what I wore, I would feel something like a punch to my gut. I wanted to just get it over with. I hated it.

The sooner I got over Dom the better.

_Dom's POV_

Vince drove today; I didn't feel like attempting to focus on the road. His car was out of gas again so I gave him a ride today. Usually, Vince drove his car to school on Monday's to bring to shop class. He used that class as a way to work on his car for free, and then I'd give him a ride to and from school and work until Friday when he took his car home.

Then the idiot forgot to put gas in the damned thing and came to my house this morning begging for a ride.

"Are you and Letty even going to talk today or is this day going to be another awkward one?" He finally asked me, and I had to smile. Vince had been trying to think of a way to ask me that all weekend. I had noticed Letty avoiding me, and I decided to let it go and give her some space for a few days. I needed to think over what had happened Friday night at the party and I didn't want to confront her about it till I had some idea about what had gone on. Letty had spent every living moment to find a way to avoid me.

She'd gone to the gym with Vince, gone out back to work of the crappy car dad had bought, and even went to the mall with Mia one time to avoid me. Mia had just asked Vince to drive her there and I was going to ask Letty if she wanted to go and get some things for her new room, but she practically ran over Vince shouting she was going with them. I still had the ten grand, almost all of it actually, I only spent a couple hundred on a new part for my car and some food, but other than that I kept it at home in the base of my lamp. I wanted to get Letty some new things for her room and she was going to get it, whether or not she wants to talk about what was going on right now.

I was going to ask her today to come with me tomorrow and get her a nice bed or some cool things for her room, and she was going if I had to drag her by her ovaries to get her to the stores.

"I'm not the one who's been avoiding having a conversation, she has." I pointed out, watching as a hot chick jogged by.

"Dom, she's fourteen years old, cut her some slack." He scolded.

"Exactly, she's fourteen and she comes to a party and drinks nine beers. Then dances on a table, grinds against a guy, who, by the way, was twenty-one, and then decided to take her top off when I tell her it's time to leave. I don't know what happened to make her so pissed at me, but she reacted too far." I rubbed the top of my head, getting annoyed. Vince was hiding something from me and I could feel it. I hated the feeling it was giving me, both Vince and Letty were hiding something, and I had a better chance of getting it out of Vince than I would Letty. I was stumped with this problem, neither of them were talking and I was running out of ways to get it out of them.

"Again, Dom, she's fourteen, she's just learning who she is." Vince took a turn. He was taking the long way, today.

"Vince, she stripped in front of a bunch of people who were older than we are."

"Still, don't take it out on her so hard, I think the hangover she had was punishment enough." I smiled. She had been in bed for a whole day with that thing, she earned it.

"Vince, why should I let go that she was acting a bit like a slut!" I regretted the choice of words instantly.

The car was jerked to the side of the rode and Vince turned to me, glaring. It looked like he was about to punch me out. "You listen to me, Dominic Toretto; Letty was in every right to act as she did after what you did to her. You don't even remember what happened, and that hurts her most of all! You remember calling her your trophy then kissing some random skank beside her then some other one, but you kissed fucking Letty! How do you think she felt when you went from kissing her to some random slut that threw herself at you then left her there standing in a crowd? You didn't even see her face! She went from confused, over joyed, happy, and then you went and kissed some chick and she became the image of impending death! She went home and screamed through the house! I heard it as Hector and I were pulling away, hell if she didn't ask me to I would have hit you out after she came to the party, so don't you dare call her a slut!"

I was frozen.

I kissed Letty?

Letty?

NO!

I couldn't have, she'd like my sister, and it was with Letty that I had one of the best kisses of my life with? Oh dear god what have I done? How could I do this to her? She must of felt like I punched her in the face and laughed at her, then I call her a slut?

I am the worst person it the world, to do something this horrid to my friend! She was fourteen years old and I treated her like some common skank!

I had to make this right, I had to!


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_Letty's POV_

Dom had walked right passed me and into Tony's office. They had been in there for nearly and hour, talking. I hadn't heard any shouting yet, but I had this feeling in my gut screaming that something was wrong. I don't know what it was but it was making me uneasy. Vince had come over to help me with the truck, but he hadn't said anything.

As we worked in silence I kept looking over at the office door. Something felt… off. I didn't know how to explain it, or how to feel about it, all I knew was there was this instinct in my gut yelling at me to be prepared for a type of confrontation. Vince wasn't saying anything about what was going on right now, though I found it odd that they had been ten minutes late for work, they were never late, ever. IF anything, those two being late should have ripped the very fabric of time.

He was hiding something!

I shrugged it off and waited for Tony to leave the office, I was tired and wanted to go home. I had opened the shop this morning, and we opened early today, so I'd been working well over eight hours, not that I minded, but I just suddenly hit my point. If Tony took any longer in that office, though, I may have to ask one of the other guys to drive me back to the house. Mia had gotten a ride home from Leon today, texting me the whole time about some insane crush over him, not that I really understood why she would, Leon was awesome, but he wasn't someone I could see Mia going out with. Leon had been coming by the garage a lot lately, and Tony had told me he was thinking about offering him a job. His exact words were "The kid's here enough and works as much as the rest of you guys do, might as well pay him for it."

Suddenly the door to the office was jerked open and Dom walked out, walking towards Vince and me with intent on his face. At first, I thought he was going over to Vince, but when Vince moved to the back of the truck Dom kept heading towards me. I groaned to myself, here comes the talk I had been trying to avoid all weekend. Either he was going to yell, scream and throw things, or he was going to lay the blame around. Either way, I wasn't looking forward to what was going on right now. Vince had an odd look on his face, almost like curiosity, but more concern. Not two normal emotions you usually see on Vince.

Dom stormed over to me and right when I expected him to start yelling, he grabbed my upper arm and pulled me out of the garage. I was confused and it took me a second to get my head back in one place, mostly I just watched as he pulled me out of the garage and towards his car. I heard the guys calling after Dom, confused, and Tony ordering them to let it go. Wait, Tony was letting him pull me away from the safety of the garage? What the hell were they talking about all that time?

I waited as Dom stopped in front of his car and turned to me. I knew that it was a time to wait for whatever he had to say, so I just stood there, watching him carefully, preparing to slap him a few times if I needed to, but instead of saying anything he pulled me to him in a hug.

What the fuck?

Why the hell was Dom hugging me? He never hugged people, other than skanks and Mia. People he could usually have a chance of getting laid with or his sister, not exactly two things I wanted to be grouped into but I let it go. I wasn't going to be anything more to him and I needed to focus on why the hell Dom had the sudden interest in hugging me.

This was too weird.

"Dom, what the hell is wrong with you?" I pulled out of his arms and glared up at him, putting on my best act of annoyance, not a bad one in my opinion. I watched as he, Dominic Toretto, struggled to find words. I had only seen him like this once, when Tony had caught him coming home drunk once when I had slept over. I had never laughed so hard in my life when I had seen that face, and now I couldn't even manage a word to ask about it, there was something about the look that was screaming at me to wait for him to talk first _before_ punching him for touching me.

If only he knew how much it hurt.

"Letty, I am so sorry."

Whoa. What? Had Dom just told me he was sorry? Wait, no need to get ahead of myself, I have no idea what he's apologizing for, he may very well be saying sorry for stuffing worms into my sandwich two years ago. "Sorry for what Dom? You need to be a little bit more specific." Dammit, now was not the time to be sarcastic, I was receiving a very rare Dom apology, I shouldn't waste it.

"For Friday, how I-"He rubbed his hands over his bald head and swore slightly. "I didn't mean to kiss you, Letty, and I feel awful about what I did, and how right after I went to some skank. I can't imagine how horrid I made you feel."

Oh hell no, not a conversation I wanted to have right now! This was not what I wanted to talk about with him at the moment. Dammit, why wasn't he done talking yet? "Dom, please, I don't want to talk about this."

"I know, but I need to. Letty, I don't want to ruin the friendship we have! We've been friends for years, you're Mia's best friend, you live at the house, you're one of the only people who can call Vince fat without getting punched, and, hell, you're me trophy!" I blushed at the memory of the races. His fucking trophy, what the hell does that even mean?

"Dom, how the hell can I be your trophy? A trophy is something you want around, I'm not!" I really wanted to yell this at him right now, but I couldn't just yet. Soon, though, once I found enough reasoning to punch him in his damned gut.

"Letty, I want you around! Hell, I might not show it in the best ways sometimes, but I do like you, you're like a sister to me! You can be as annoying as one sometimes, too, but that's just who you are. It works out great when we're all getting along and all that shit." He paused to look at me; he looked like he was trying to explain quantum physics to a frog! It was pretty funny, if I wasn't the frog. "Let, I didn't mean to kiss you. Hell, I had planned to spend the money I made from the race to buy you some stuff for your room, maybe an old car frame we could turn into a bed, and then I go and ruin everything I was trying to do, to make up for what a dick I had been and how I hadn't realized how you'd been living and-" That was it, I was pissed.

"That's all it ever is with you, Dom, a way to make your own guilt feel better! I am not something for you to fucking pity! I am a fucking human being and all you can do is think that I am like a little sister to you, or some little girl that needs worms stuffed down her pants, or a target to throw beer cans at, and the worst of it all is that when I finally decide to grow up and start acting like a normal human girl, you become the protective older brother type and freak out over me wearing something a little showy, or talking with some guys at the races, and you just don't get it! I AM FUCKING DONE WITH BEING A TROPHY TO EVERYONE! To my father, I was his trophy daughter, more like his fucking prisoner, to my mother I was a meal ticket to get through the next week, and now I'm your damned racer chaser trophy? Fuck that shit!"

"No, Letty, you're not a racer chaser trophy, you're sweet and kind and you are like my good luck charm. Every time I race when you're there I win, and when I win you're one of the first people I see, that's why you're my trophy. I didn't mean you were some sort of property." I was not going to punch him, I was not going to punch him.

"Dom, you think just because you find out that my life is shit that you can swoop in a make up for any bad thing you've done to me because, hey, Letty can't deal with the shit going on in her own lift, even though she's been dealing for a good twelve years already. So take you're fucking nobility and shove it up you're fucking ass." I tried to walk past him, hell I would walk to Canada to get away from here right now. I knew that everyone in the garage was listening to what was going on right now, and really didn't want to be around when they decided it was the right time to ask some questions about certain parts of the fight.

If only he let me keep walking.

He grabbed my arm and spun me towards him, holding my shoulders straight to glare down at me. "It was never like that, Letty, I did it because I wanted to help you cope. Sure, you dealt with those problems before, but it was nothing like you're going through now. Never have you had to testify about how your father beats you. I saw how it was killing you inside and wanted to help."

I pulled away from him. "Fuck your help Dom, I do not need it. Never have and I never will."

"Bullshit! How else would you have gone into that damned house on Friday, gotten to work, or done anything with your life since this all started? You never tried to move from that damned bed, and I could see you ending your life there! So, yeah, you needed help!"

"No, Dom, that's bullshit. You have no idea how the hell I cope with _my fucking problems._ So drop it and leave it alone for once."

"Letty, I can't do that to family! You're like my sister-"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR FUCKING SISTER, BUT YOU'RE TOO BLIND TO SEE IT!" I screamed at him. I was always his sister, his friend, his annoying neiboor, but never had he tried to see what I really wanted and I was done. I was going to be brave one time then burry it forever, or at least try to. Dom was just staring at me, blank. I only would get one shot at this, so it might as well be now. "Look, Dom, when have I ever said, 'hey, Dom says I'm like a sister, I'm so happy about that'? Never, because I was never interested in being your 'sister' or your 'little friend'. I wanted more than that!"

I groaned and walked away from him, that was as good as it was going to get.

"What if I tried more?" I froze and slowly turned back to him.

"What?"

"What if I tried harder?"

I smiled. "Then it would change." I walked away, wanting to get home and rest. Tomorrow would be another day at work and wherever Dom decided to go with the information I just gave him was up to how he handled it.

For now.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Six months Later, Letty's POV_

Life seemed to move rather quickly lately. The summer had gone by in a breeze and I entered high school again. I was able to catch up enough over the summer that I could continue into my regular grade so I didn't have to be held back. I was happy, so was Mia and Dom. Tony was over the moon with pride.

As for my parents, they wished I would go die in a hole. The trial had gone on during the summer, and Dad had gotten 10 years a chance of early parole. Mom, though, got two years and a restraining order. Apparently, some of the jury saw her more as the victim than an abuser, which I'm sure was her intent. I had freaked out and practically thrown a fit back at the house, screaming over how it was unfair that she got to be free again, her and her father. She threw things, broke a few things, and finally Dom had enough of letting her destroy the house and calmed her down. Since that day at the garage he had tried really hard to be good with her.

He took her to the races, still, even let her sit in the back seat while he raced once, and he took me shopping for my room too. We found a frame for an old truck and we altered it to turn it into a bed, did the same with some old wheels and turned those into a desk. Mia had wanted to take me shopping and use Dom's money to 'update my wardrobe' and I was so close to winning the fight with her when Dom walked in and told me to get in the car. Mia, though, didn't get to pick anything out, I did and Dom did, and Mia threw such a fit over it.

He took me to the parties, too. He wouldn't let me have more than one beer, of course, and drove me home almost every time, but it was a fun time. I had nightmares a lot, every time I did Dom would come and wake me up, or he would hold me while I screamed over and over again. We actually became close.

I was eager for next summer, though, when I turned sixteen. My birthday this year wasn't a good one; it had landed right in the middle between the end of my father's trial and the beginning of my mother's. I had just spent the night watching movies with Mia, Dom, and Vince. We had a good time.

Right now I was eager to get home and get to work. The school days always seemed longer as they ticked on. I really wanted to go to work and get something done other than American history. Seriously this class was useless to me, every morning the first two classes of the day were something I actually wanted to do. I got into two different shop classes, it was fun. Everyone else in those classes, even the teacher, had no clue what they were doing and I was kicking ass at that class.

"Okay, so tomorrow we'll be starting the end of slavery and the transition into society. Please read up on chapter 12 for tomorrow." The bell went off and I jumped out of my seat and quickly went out of the room and towards the parking lot. I was in a rush to leave the school, yeah it might be going well, but it doesn't mean I like it. Lately Leon would ride over with us as we went to work. Tony had tired him to work with us. He'd been bringing this other kid along with him, named Jesse, he was a super computer genius and Tony liked having the kid around.

I was waiting by Dom's car as he came out along with Mia and Jesse. Leon and Vince came out a few minutes later Vince had brought his car today so he, Leon and Jesse all rode together, while Dom, Mia and I all went in Dom's car.

When we got to the garage we were all happy, laughing and making fun of Vince. This had been the routine we went through most of the time, laughing and having fun. We went to separate corners of the garage to begin working. I was about to get started on a ford truck when Tony called me over to the office. I slowly walked over to the office where Tony motioned for me to sit down and wait for him to close the door. As I waited I started to think of all the things that could be wrong right now, but I tried to stay calm. He could want to yell at me for a bad test or something.

"Calm down, Letty, you're not in trouble." I visibly relaxed in front of him and he laughed. I smiled and slumped back in the chair. "I got an email from a few of your teachers. One from your biology teacher, your shop teacher, and math teacher; they all say that your last tests are showing huge improvement and think that you're at a level above Dom is." I was shocked.

"Wait, What?" I leaned forward eager to hear more, since when was I an academic source of information? That was Mia's job, and she had been getting honor role for years. "I'm doing well in class?"

Tony smiled. "Yes, you're between 92 and 98 percent in each class." I felt a huge smile spread over my face, I couldn't help but jump up and screeched out 'fuck yes' earning myself a look from Tony.

I heard the door open behind me and was met with a confused look from Dom, Vince, Leon and Jesse. "We thought you guys we're strangling birds in here." Vince muttered as they all pushed their way into the room to find out what was going on.

"Dom, Dom, Dom, Dom!" I screeched, running over to him, gripping his upper arms grinning at him.

"What? What? What? What?" He mocked with a smile. I glared but shook it off quickly; I was too excited to care.

"I'm getting straight A's, all over 90 percent!" I giggled and jumped up and down.

"Great job Let!" He wrapped me up in his arms in a big bear hug. Vince and the other guys were cheering at us and making jokes at us. He put me down and smiled at me. "Hey, Dad, can I take her out for a celebration ice cream? She deserves it." I grinned up at him, my heart fluttering. I couldn't help it, every time Dom took me out just the two of us, or gave me a sweet smile my heart would flutter and I would be fighting to keep my blush hidden.

"Sweet, ice cream, I'll drive!" Vince called, but Dom grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

"Sorry Vince, just Letty and I this time." He looked to Tony and waited for him to nod in approval before dragging me out the door and towards his car. I couldn't stop smiling, lately this was happening a lot, he would drag me off somewhere for us to have some time together and we would have a great time.

Dom stopped me in front of the car and turned me towards him. "Good job, Let, I'm proud of you." He leaned in close to me and pressed his lips to the corner of my lips. I froze. I wasn't sure what type of kiss this was, if it was a friendly kiss or a relationship starting kiss. Either way, I wasn't complaining. Dom and I had gotten close, and if it went a little farther, this time I wouldn't mind so much.

_Dom's POV_

Wow, her lips were soft.

I don't know why I kissed her, but I was glad I did. Letty and I had changed it seemed, we were closer and we enjoyed our time together. We went out all the time and I enjoyed having her with me whenever we were together. I doubted that our relationship would stay this way for much longer before we went forward. I didn't mind that at all, and when it happened, I wouldn't be the one sitting around doing nothing about it.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_Letty's POV_

Dom and I pulled up to the house late in the evening. It was close to midnight so I was sure Mia had passed out and Vince probably crashed on the couch. He'd been spending a lot more time here since his mother went into the hospital again. Leon and Jesse sometimes hung around as well with us, sometimes spending the night also. But right now I couldn't help but look over at Dom and smile. Not only had he taken me to get some ice cream, he also took me to dinner and out to a movie. It was a great night.

If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn it was a date. Dom had been all protective of me, kept me close to him and kept smiling down at me. I enjoyed having the time with him, it felt right. But I wasn't going to tell him that, at least not yet.

We got out of his car and walked slowly towards the house, for some reason, I really didn't want the night to end yet, if I stepped in the house life would just get crazy again, Mia would wake up in an instant and attack me with questions about what's going on between Dom and me, and then Vince would wake up and start to make some jokes causing me to punch him in his balls. Before we reached the front door I stopped and turned to look up at the sky, I wasn't ready to end the night yet.

"Want to just sit outside for a little while?" I asked, smiling hopefully. Dom smiled back and nodded. We sat on the front step and just looked up at the night sky. It was a great night out, so clear, not a cloud in sight. "Thank you for tonight Dom, it was fun." I looked over at him to see him staring at me, just watching.

"No problem, you earned it. I never thought you'd be one for getting straight A's." I made a face at him and lightly shoved his shoulder, there was no way he could ruin my mood tonight. I was having too much of a good time. "Ouch." He muttered.

"Baby," I shot back at him, a grin on my face. Nights like these with Dom were great, no one else around to make it seem like it was weird, just the two of us being ourselves.

We sat outside for a little longer before I noticed the time flashing across my watch. It was close to one a.m. now, and I had school in the morning. I shoved myself up and motioned for Dom to follow. We went inside and silently crept up the stairs and went to our separate rooms. I changed into my green boxer shorts and black tank top before pulling my hair up and crawling into bed. Usually by now I would be fast asleep, but I just lied there in the bed staring at the ceiling. I was tired, I could feel it, but my mind didn't want to rest and sleep. I thought about pulling my computer over and playing a video game or something, but I didn't. Right now all I could do was wait for my natural need for sleep to take over.

Thirty minutes had gone by and I was still awake. I wanted to sleep, but something inside me was preventing myself from going to that stage and releasing it. It kept tossing and turning in my bed, almost afraid to go to sleep. Lately nightmares had been plaguing my sleep and I just knew that tonight would be the same. Finally I got fed up and pushed myself out of bed and paced the room.

I decided to go and see if Dom was sleeping, or maybe just hang in his room for a while and see if that made me want to get some sleep. I opened my door and looked out into the hall. Dom's door was closed and his light was off. He was probably lying in bed trying to get some sleep also. I walked as quietly as I could over to his door and slowly opened it and peaked inside. He was lying on the bed looking up at the ceiling like I had been.

When I opened the door his head snapped up and he looked over at me with a questioning look on his face. "I couldn't sleep." I stated, hanging back by the door.

Dom sat up in his bed and moved over, pulling the covers back beside him. "Lay with me for a bit, maybe you'll get some rest." I nodded shortly and moved into his room. I was painfully aware that I never spent time in his room, I think I'd only been in it once or twice, and that was only to let him know that dinner was ready or to keep his music down, but never to actually lay down in his bed and try and get some sleep, never that.

I crawled in beside him and curled up in his pillow. He dropped the blanket over me and laid back down, throwing his arm around my back. I closed my eyes and tried to let the feeling of sleep take over, but again nothing happened. Instead of tossing and turning again I just laid my head on Dom's chest and listened to his heartbeat. His hand was slowly running up and down my back, almost lazily. He was content in just holding. I listened to his breathing and closed my eyes again. I was comfortable, he might have really hard muscles but he was really soft and nice to lie on.

"This reminds me of when I was little and whenever I had a nightmare mom would come and lay with me for a little while, until I fell asleep again." I whispered, snuggling into his chest.

"Have you been having bad dreams or something?" He muttered, his voice was heavy with sleep, he wasn't going to be awake for much longer.

"A couple, the last few weeks or so, nothing overly serious." I felt his breathing stop for a second before picking up its normal rhythm. It was a calming sound, almost like a lullaby. I could get used to doing this, falling asleep to the sound of his heart, the slow rhythm of his breathing. It was nice, almost perfect.

If he didn't smell like a sweaty man it would be perfect.

"Why have you been having nightmares?" Dom's hand was now tracing patterns over my shoulder blades, then slowly travelling down towards my lower back, then back up again. He did the rotation four times before I answered.

"I don't know, I just am." I could feel sleep calling me, screaming at me to let it take over my body and drift away. I let in to the feeling and slowly started to fade away from where I was to somewhere better.

"Don't worry, Let, I'll keep the nightmares away," I heard Dom whisper before I took one last look at the room around me before the need for sleep took over and I drifted away.

_Dom's POV_

I watched as Letty slowly faded away into sleep. I'd seen the dark circles under her eyes and knew she hadn't been getting much sleep. If she was fine sleeping here, then I had no plans to move her. Her warm body felt nice pressed against mine, her head on my chest. She was so soft, so warm, and she fit against me like a puzzle piece. It was nice, it was normal. I felt really relaxed.

I smiled down at her sleeping form and brought one of my hands up to stroke her hair. Poor girl, so sleepy, she'd been going really hard lately, staying up studying, working late at the garage, she did a lot and never took time to rest. I was glad I was able to give her a good day. She deserved it after doing so well in school. Letty had never done great with grades, but right now she was doing awesome. I was proud of her.

Tonight had been perfect. We spent a lot of time together, laughing, having fun, and when some moron decided to look at her my protective and male side took over and I would pull her closer to me, like I was stating some form of claim on her.

A claim. Did I want a claim on Letty? Yes, lately we were doing really great, and I enjoyed the kiss we had earlier, but was going further with Letty a bad thing for us? We've known each other for so long that it almost doesn't seem right, but at the same time there was this part of me that was screaming for me to go for it and give it a shot. We couldn't do that badly together; we'd keep each other entertained, but was it what was right for us?

I looked down at Letty again and smiled, the side screaming for her was winning. She was the best person for me, she was perfect. If I could, I would try and keep her, which was if I could even get her in the first place. I had hurt her pretty bad in the past and she might not be able to trust me just yet. But I would show her that I was what she needed. I wasn't going to be just the protective brother type anymore.

She was going to get it very quickly what I wanted to go on between us. I wanted _her. _I wanted to kiss her every day and have a claim to be the only one who could do it. I wanted to see her in the garage and make out with her for being too sexy; I wanted more nights like this with her just in my arms and having a good time together, relaxing with each other.

Letty started to moan in her sleep and I stroked her head quickly, hushing her sleeping form. Damned nightmares; Letty stirred and moaned again, only louder and more panicked. I hushed her and wrapped bother arms around her, one hand stroking her back while the other stroked her hair. Slowly, she calmed back down into a silent sleep. She let out a quiet sigh and was back to her rest. I smiled, my sweet Letty, she was always strong even when she slept. It seemed like I was the only one who got to see the soft side of her. Mia, I think, never even saw it. She was just strong in front of anyone she thought needed to think that she was, but it was me who she broke down in front of, me who could make her talk about things that no one else could.

It seemed to be my job.

I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"Goodnight, sweet Letty." I whispered and let sleep take me away from the heaven I was in.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_Letty's POV_

"Letty, come on Letty, wake up." I felt someone lightly shake my shoulder and I groaned in protest. I was comfy, Dom made a really nice pillow and I had no intentions of leaving any time soon. "Letty, it's eight o'clock; we've got to go to school." That got me up.

"What? Why didn't you wake me sooner?' I jumped from his bed and moved for the door, hoping there was enough hot water for a shower. "Is Mia even up yet or do I have to battle her for the shower time?" I pulled the fallen strands of hair away from my face and groaned. Why did school always have to call me out of bed when I was sleeping contently? It wasn't fair.

"Apparently Vince drove her to school, he texted me to let me know a few minutes ago. He came in to ask why I wasn't ready yet, saw we were sleeping and took Mia to school. Be prepared for interrogation later." I laughed and left the room to go and get my towel and some clothes. I checked outside and saw it was pretty nice out so I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top and left for a shower. I could shove my makeup in my bag and do it on the way to school.

I hoped in the shower quickly and was out in minutes. I didn't take nearly as long as Mia did, and the fact I could feel the hot water running out was pushing me to get out of the shower a lot faster than normal. I wrapped a towel around myself and reached for my clothes, only to notice I left them in my room. Great.

I peeked out in the hallway looking to make sure Dom wasn't standing there so I could go to my room quickly. This towel was a little small and didn't really cover me up enough. Seeing the coast was clear, I stepped out and started towards my room. Just as I was about to pass Dom's room, his door swung open and he stepped out wearing only a towel around his hips. I froze. This was the first time I'd really seen his bare chest, last night had been too dark and I hadn't notice this morning. I immediately looked away and ran past him trying to cover myself. Damn he was fine. I hadn't noticed before how defined his muscles were.

I thought I heard him mutter something like 'damn sexy' but I let it go and went into my room. I quickly dried off and started to get dressed. I had just gotten my panties and bra on when my door swung open and Dom walked it. "Let, you left your pj's on the fl-"He paused and simply looked at me. I was frozen in the spot I was in, standing in my underwear reaching for my shorts. I watched as his mouth opened and he just stared at me. I quickly grabbed up my shorts and tugged them on. I was looking around for my shirt when he stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm. "Let," He breathed out, I just looked up at him in shock. He looked at my face and reached up with one hand to push a strand of hair off of my cheek.

I couldn't breathe; he was just looking down at me and staring at me like I was, well, his trophy again. "Dom, I need to get dressed." He just shook his head and smiled down at me "Dom," He shook his head again and leaned in closer to me. My heart was racing; this was a huge step forward in our relationship that I wasn't expecting. I mean, yeah we were getting closer and last night was a pretty big step forward in our relationship, but this was a whole new level, hell it wasn't even the next level. This was eight jumps and six houses away from right now.

."Dom I-"

"Letty," He breathed.

"Y-yes?" He was really close to me now.

"Stop talking." He closed the space between us and crashed his lips to mine.

HOLY CRAP, HE COULD KISS!

His lips slanted against mine as he slowly ran his hand around my back to pull me to him. I was still frozen before I felt his lips soften and his hands rest on my lower back. After a few seconds I got over the slam of shock and began to kiss him back, my lips moving in time with him while my hands moved up his bare chest to wrap my arms around his neck. He pulled me closer to his body and dragged me against him. His chest was so soft, same as his lips. I loved the way they felt against mine.

His lips lightly pulled away from mine, a smile formed on m y face as his forehead pressed to mine. My breathing was short as I tried to calm my heartbeat. "Dom, are you-"

He chuckled. "I thought I said to stop talking." He leaned in again and kissed me again, this time it was more soft and sweet. He moved one hand up to cup my cheek and slowly moved my face closer to his. My hands moved from his face and started to drag down his bare chest. He was really warm, how had I never noticed this before? He was radiating heat. His lips fit against mine almost perfectly to mine. Damn he could kiss. The two that we've had before had been quick and I hadn't had a chance to soak them in, but this one was different.

I pulled away from the kiss and Dom's lips started down my cheek and my neck. "Dom, we have to stop." I whispered, though I really didn't want to, I wanted to stay here and continue to make out with him, but we had school to get to and if I didn't show up then Mia would attack me later. Dom mumbled something about stop talking again and I laughed. "Dom, school. We need to go to school, we can continue this later." I pushed on his abs lightly and smiled up at him. He glared down at me and tried to lean back into kiss me again. "Dominic Toretto if you don't stop then I won't let you kiss me ever again." That got him.

"You're a cruel person, Letty." He whispered, leaning in to kiss me lightly on the cheek and moved away from me. "Be quick, we don't want to be late." He smiled as I pushed him out of my room. I couldn't stop smiling.

Quickly, I grabbed a crop top instead of the tank top and threw that on, and grabbed one of my shear button downs and threw that on over top. Checking myself in the mirror, I smiled. I looked good, but my lips were swollen and I had a huge blush across my face. This was weird; me and Dom had just made out and teasing each other. What the hell had happened with us?

I looked down at myself and groaned. I had to change.

_Dom's POV_

How could Letty's lips be so soft? Damn, she was a great kisser. I was sitting on the couch waiting for her to come down so I could kiss her again. If I could help it, we wouldn't be going to school today at all, instead we'd go to a movie or something, and somewhere where I could make out with her all day. She was taking a while, when he had been up in her room she had only needed a top and she would have been ready, but it had been almost ten minutes.

I stood up and moved to the bottom of the stairs. "Let, you almost ready?" I called up, leaning against the wall, watching for movement at the top of the stairs.

"Sorry, I'm coming." She called and I heard her door open and heard her coming towards the stairs. When she hit the staircase my mouth dropped open. She was wearing her white leather pants and a jeweled black crop top. Damn she looked hot, so there was no way she was leaving in that outfit. "Okay, I'm ready to go." She threw her bag over her shoulder as she ran down the stairs. As she passed me I grabbed her around the waste and pulled her back to me, her back pressed against my chest. She looked up at me with a smile on her face before leaning into my body. I had been worried that she wouldn't like this change in our relationship, but I was happy to see she was perfectly happy with it.

"Where do you think you're going?" I whispered into her hair. She laughed and gave me a look.

"To school, which, by the way, we're going to be late for if we don't leave soon." I could see the longing in her eyes that she didn't want to leave my arms, and my smile grew in size.

"Dressed like this?" I gave her a gentle squeeze around her waist, my thumb stroking her bare stomach slowly.

Fear flashed in her face, or rather self-doubt, and she looked down at herself. Damn, that wasn't the reaction I wanted about how she looked. She looked damn hot, too hot to be seen by other people. She was mine, and I didn't want to risk the other guys at school getting a chance to see her like this. "What's wrong with it? I-I thought I looked really good."

I smiled down at her. "I never said you didn't. You look really damned hot, which is why you need to go change." The look she gave me was priceless. It was a mix of shock, happiness and confusion. A classic Letty look.

"What? Why?" She turned around in my arms and placed her hands on my chest over my muscle shirt. This might be hard to explain without pissing her off.

"Because you look too hot." I said simply. She laughed, pushed my chest then moved out of my arms.

"Come on, smooth talker, we need to get to school." She moved for the door and waited for me beside it. I grinned and started for her. As I passed beside her I took hold of her hand and dragged her out the door. She laughed and shook her head as we headed for my car. I didn't think that I would move forward with Letty at the speed we were going, I had planned on easing her into it, I was going with what we had, and I liked it.

When I had walked into her room earlier my control had snapped. She had just been standing there, and I realized I didn't want to risk her falling for someone else or deciding to start looking for someone. I wanted her to mine and mine alone. I unlocked the car and let go of her hand so she could walk around to her side of the car. I grinned at her and got into the car.

We started off towards the school in a comfortable silence. After about five miles of driving we'd somehow managed to end up with her hand in mine and her head on my shoulder. "What brought this on?" She suddenly whispered. I looked over at her with a confused look.

"What do you mean?" I asked, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Well, six months ago you were a total ass to me and hooking up with Johnny Tran's slutty sister, and then twenty minutes ago you come into my room and decide to start a make-out session with me." I smiled and glanced down at her. "Not that I didn't enjoy it, but it's not a very Dom thing to do."

I laughed. "And what would be a Dom thing to do?" she looked up at me and shook her head.

"A Dom thing would to be an ass till you cornered me against a wall at the races." I couldn't help but laugh. That did sound like something I would do, hell if I hadn't walked in on her today it probably would be the way I would've asked her out, but I wouldn't let her know that.

I kissed the top of her head. "You don't know everything, smarty. Besides we've been getting closer a lot lately, you must have noticed it yourself or when I walked into your room you would have thrown a fit like you did when Vince walked in last week." That was a good day, she had punched him in the nose, he still had a small bruise on his face from it, and every time one of us mentioned it he blushed and looked over at Letty. It was hilarious.

"Don't be mean; I'm just saying that it was a surprise." I nodded, taking a turn into the school parking lot. First bell didn't go for a few more minutes, so we could still talk a little more. "So did yesterday count as a date, or do you still owe me a first date?"

"Oh, I still owe you a date. Trust me; it'll be a good one." She grinned and moved away from me to get out of the car. "Hang on." I grabbed her arm and tugged her back over to me and cupped her cheek, pulling her to my lips and lightly kissed her.

_Letty's POV_

I stepped out of the car and looked sadly towards the school. Dom and I had classes far from each other, but we did have shop together at the end of the day, so that wouldn't be so bad. But I wanted to spend more time together, in case this was all just a dream. Dom got out of the car and came around to my side where I was leaning against the car door. Dom was like a celebrity around school, a lot of girls crowded around him and tried to get a date with him, and since no one at the school cared whether or not Dom had a girl he liked, they still jumped at him.

He placed his hands on my hips and smiled down at me. "What's the look for?" He whispered, bringing his face down towards mine. I gave him a small smile and looked back at the school. "Letty," He pulled my chin towards him so I had to look at him. "What's with the look?"

I sighed and leaned in against him. "Just thinking about all the skanks that love to go at you," He laughed and pulled back to look down at me.

"Let, relax. They'll learn really fast when I push them away from me, or when I'm in the hall making out with you." I laughed and buried my head in his chest.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've been jealous of the skanks ever since I starting liking you in sixth grade. Now that I know you like me too and that you enjoying walking into my room and starting a random make out session with me I only get more jealous, and now that I hear myself saying it I realize how stupid I sound, so let's go to class." I pushed myself off the car and tried to break past his strong arms, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Letty, over the last six months every time we went to the races, when I started to notice my feelings for you, every time you were talking with a guy, or dancing near one, I wanted to go over and rip their heads off. Trust me, its fine. It'll take time for us to get used to this and we'll get into fights while learning how to." I nodded and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, we have class." We walked off from the parking lot and towards the school, and I could feel the evil glares burning into the back of my skull from some of the well-known skanks of the school. I was surprised to be walked to class by Dom.

We reached my class and Dom turned me towards him right in the center of the door way and leaned down to kiss me. It was a sweet, soft kiss. Not to short and not too long. It was perfect.

Until the loud call of "WHAT THE HELL?" from Mia pulled us out of it.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_Letty's POV_

We were so dead. I squeezed my eyes shut and begged that I had just imagined Mia yelling at us and that I had lost my mind. I buried my face in Dom's chest and waited for the attack to begin. "What in the hell have I missed?" Mia ran over to us and grabbed my arm. I held onto Dom as hard as I could, I did not want to go through the interrogation of the when what and why's that Mia would throw at me. Why did she have to be in the same homeroom with me? This sucked.

"Letty, let go of your new boy toy so you can start explaining." She kept tugging at me, and I tried my best to keep a good grip on Dom, but damn she was strong when she was determined. Finally she managed to break me away from him and drag me across the room, Dom just stood against the door and laughed at my attempt to drag myself away from his insane sister.

"Dom, I'm sorry to tell you but I'm going to murder your sister. Make sure you let Vince know." I gave in and let Mia take me to the corner of the room. I noticed Vince walking over to Dom and saying hello. I sighed, I already gave the show to Mia and I really didn't want to miss Vince's reaction, so the minute Mia let me go I ran back over to Dom and gave him a kiss goodbye, giving Vince a smile as I walked away from them.

"What the fuck?" Was all I heard before Dom dragged him away. I moved over to my seat and waited while the teacher came in and took a quick attendance. We had half an hour to work on any homework before first class started, so I settled in and waited for the ambush of questions from Mia.

"Spill, Let, start from the beginning and don't leave out any details." I couldn't help but smile that was such a Mia thing, even though it was her brother she wanted to know every little detail, if I left out how long a kiss lasted with someone she always would come at me about it.

So I gave her the rundown, starting when we left the garage yesterday to when she decided to interrupt us. Somehow during the story a few other people started to listen in and ask questions about us, and of course Vince had found his way into our class to get more information out of me than he did out of Dom. Finally the bell rang and I was able to escape from the torment of Mia's questioning. I quickly ran to my locker to grab my biology textbook, hoping to catch a sight of Dom, but I had little hope that I would actually see him; after all we were at opposite ends of the school.

I hated Biology, but I had to pass it, if I wanted to go to the next grade. Even if my grades were great at the moment, I was never good at Biology, Mia was the only reason I was passing it lately. She helped me study during the night. In return I was to go to the mall with her whenever she wanted an opinion on something important, not just a new pair of jeans.

Skanks were flanking me in the halls. I hated seeing them around me, gossip spread like wildfire around the school, and Mia talked to anyone who would listen when it came to gossip, so I had a feeling everyone knew that I was with Dom now, so I was just waiting for the swarm to come and try something against me.

"Let!" I turned to see Hector coming up behind me. I smiled and waved to him.

"Hey Hector, how's it going?" I knocked fists with him and started off towards my class. Hector was in my Biology class, he kept failing, but he was able to move forward in every other class. This was his third year taking the class, and yet he still could never get a passing grade.

"Not bad, girl, heard the good word about you and Dom, I believe congrats are it order." He gave me a cheesy smile and I shook my head at him, such a typical response from Hector. He was like a brother to all of us, sure he was not as close as the immediate team, but we were all close none the less.

"Oh shut it, Hector, we haven't even decided if we're going out yet, or if we're just having a fun make out session." He laughed and I gave him a shove. Such a pain in the ass.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you saw girl. Hey did you here Leon got transferred to our Bio class? Apparently he annoyed the crap out of Ms. Steelburn so she moved him into ours. It'll be nice to have someone else to sit with; after all, I'm sure he'll have a couple of questions regarding you and Dom." I groaned and threw a light punch at him. He made a fake painful gesture as we continued to class.

We headed off to class, meeting up with Leon on the way, and in order to get the topic away from Dom and changed it to the topic of how Leon managed to annoy Ms. Steelburn. Apparently he put super glue on her chair before she walked into the class and she sat in it, gluing herself to the chair. He got it on film and everything.

The rest of the morning dragged on; truthfully I was just waiting for lunch time when Dom and I could hang out a little bit. Hector, Leon, Jesse, Mia and Vince always ate with us too. It was like our little team getting together and having a good time at lunch. We usually talk about plans for the next race, recent car action, anything really. I had a feeling today would be a little off from our usual routine.

Finally the lunch bell rang and I jumped up from my seat. We all met at the back of the soccer field, just around the goal posts. I practically ran to my locker to grab next classes books and head out to the field, egger to have some time with Dom.

_Dom's POV_

Mia, Vince and I were all sitting around the field waiting for everyone else to arrive. Mia, surprisingly, wasn't coming at me with a million questions about Letty and I, I figured that she had already been filled in by Letty and felt she had enough information. Vince, on the other hand, had been asking questions non-stop since we sat down. Skanks, as always, were walking around trying to get something out of me, proving that I couldn't be faithful to Letty, or just to piss me off. It was irritating.

I looked around for Letty, but all I saw were Jesse and Leon heading over. Lately we had all grown close since they'd started working at the garage. It was nice to have some more people around after school, Dad could only keep the full time guys around for so long before he began to lose money. Leon was pretty skilled, and Jesse was great help on the computers.

Jesse had been going through a hard time lately with his dad going back to prison. He liked having a place to chill out after class. Lately he and Mia had been really close. If Mia and Letty weren't already best friends I would be sure that was Jesse's new post. They sat downs around us and it was there turn to begin with the questions. I just sat there and laughed at them. I wasn't going to say anything, this was too much fun.

Finally I caught sight of Letty coming across the field and a smile spread over my face. I stood and met her half way from where she was. "Hey," I whispered, catching her hand in mine and pulling her closer to me.

"Hi," She smiled and closed her fingers in mine. This felt so different from what we were used to, but it was right. I knew it, she knew it, and hell every one of our friends knew it. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on her soft lips. She met it eagerly and brought her hand up to my cheek. I pulled away slowly and smiled down at her. "Happy to see me?" She teased and I laughed, pulling her towards the rest of the group.

We sat down against the posts and all eyes were on us as I placed my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me. The looks we were getting were priceless, Letty laughed as Mia made a gagging sound when I leaned in to kiss her cheek. I shot her a dirty look and kissed Letty's forehead just to rub it in. "Okay, if you do are going to be all lovey-dovey about your new relationship, can we have some limits of how much crap we have to witness?" Mia complained, taking a bite of her salad in the process.

"Mia, shut it. I have to endure it when you're around that dude from-"Letty cut off as I turned to give her a look. Mia was shooting daggers at Letty, and Letty was giving her looks of apology.

"What dude?" I asked, looking between the two of them. Letty looked away from me and down at her hands. Mia was still giving death looks. "Mia, what dude?" Vince was casting looks between the two of them as well, we had always been over protective of the two of them, and now we knew that we had to find out who this guy was.

"Letty, I am going to kill you." Mia sneered at her, and my arm instinctively held her closer to my body.

"Dom, I don't need you to protect me." She scolded me as she pushed my side. "Mia, it's not like you go out with him, you just flirt in class. Besides, you have that class with Jesse, and no offense to you man, but he would blab about it to the group more than you did about Dom and I having a make out session." I laughed, it was true. Mia and Jesse had a lot of classes together so he would have blabbed about any guy to us sooner rather than later.

"So, Mia, who is this guy?" I questioned her, raising my eyebrow.

"Yeah, who do we need to go and beat up?" Vince joked, lightly shoving at her shoulder.

"No one and Letty will not tell you, and neither will I." Mia cast another look at Letty and she held up her hands in defeat. "Good, now can we get back to boundaries?" She begged, this was fun. She clearly didn't want to continue this conversation, which made me want to continue it.

"Okay, let's start with this; until I can talk to him in private, no one says a word to dad." I announced, casting a look around the group. Everyone nodded in agreement and I looked down at Letty. "Let?"

She looked around in confusion. "Would he have a problem with it?" She looked up at me, and the look in her eyes hurt me. They were sad, like whenever she had to talk about her family and I hated to be the one to cause that look.

"No, he wouldn't have a problem with us, but he knows me. He knows that I, well you know how I've been."

"You mean a womanizing jerk that would sleep with anything in a tight skirt or has a working pair of lady parts that are willing enough to play with you?" She gave me an innocent look, but I just glared at her.

"Yes, smartass, that. He would be more worried about you than anyone, and give me hell about it. So, let's just wait on the telling my dad thing. Just until I can show him that I'm not, well, everything you just said."

Letty nodded and looked up at me. "Does that mean I'm not allowed to come into your room at night and sleep anymore?" She smiled and laughed as Mia made another gagging sound.

"Oh, I didn't say that," I muttered as I leaned in to kiss her.

"EWWW, no, no, no, no, no, no! We are not having make out sessions in front of me, or talking about what you two do in your own time!" Mia cried out as she waved her hands at us in protest. Everyone around us burst into laughter and fell around the circle. Mia made a frustrated sound and threw her hands up in surrender before turning to Jesse and started to talk with him about something else.

Topics changed and for the last little while we all talked about other things. Hector brought up the next race on Friday and Letty talked with Leon about his current prank plans. After a while, the warning bell went off and we all stood and started off for the school. I held Letty's hand and walked her to her class. Again as I left I kissed her goodbye and was met with egger return. Skanks from all around us glared at Letty as she pulled away and said goodbye. I wasn't worried about her, though, she knew how to handle herself. The first one that came at her she would probably punch out before they got the chance to make any problems for her.

I left her and headed off to math. Two more classes before shop. Letty had gotten into the advanced class so we had it together, as well with Vince and Leon. Jesse was in the normal shop class with Letty before it. The days rotated around so some days we started with shop while others we ended. The days when we started with it were always the most fun. Now because I could get some extra time with Letty in the morning, but before it was just nice to start the day off with shop. Vince was already in class when I walked in and waved me over. "Hey man." He knocked fists with me and I sat down.

"So, you and Letty?"

"And here we go," I joked. Vince laughed and gave me a shove.

"Naw, it's great. We all have been waiting for you two to get together. Hell, Leon and I have been taking bets over when this would happen. I won; he owes me a hundred bucks."

"Funny, Vince, very funny. Can we be serious now? Are you racing Friday or not?" I asked turning to him with all seriousness. "Because you haven't raced since that chick beat your ass three months ago, your reputation is breaking." He laughed and nodded his head at me.

"Hell yeah I'm racing. I've been trying to update the tech on my car, it's been taking a little longer than I would like, but it's finally done. I might even beat you." I shook my head at him. Nothing could beat my car, it was the best on the road, but I would let him try. "Come on, man, we haven't raced against each other in a long time, we should do it this time. Whoever wins gets both bragging rights and the money. It'll be fun."

"As much as I would love to kick your sorry ass in a race, we have a rule in our group, remember? No racing against our own team. I'm not going to do it. I refuse; I'd sooner race Mia, though that would be an easy win." Vince fell off his chair with laughter and I just shook my head. It was a rule, we had all agreed on it a long time ago, when we got into the racing world. Hector had his own crew at the races so we all enjoyed racing him, he mostly lost to our crew, but it was a good time.

"Just think on it." He moved back into his chair and rubbed his neck waiting for the class to start. I had no interest In taking all of Vince's money.

I sat through the class, not really paying much attention to what was going on. After school was going to be torture, not being able to kiss Letty whenever I wanted. But it was for the best, I had to talk with my dad, show him I could be someone other than the womanizer he saw me as. I had too, or my relationship with Letty would have no support from my father, and I needed his support in this, just like with everything else that goes on in my life. My dad was everything to Mia and I, and he would always be that to us. Letty was like a daughter to him, and if we continued without his approval, I would never feel as if it was right.

This would not be an easy thing to prove to him.


	19. Chapter 18

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I had major writters block about what to do with this chapter. Don't worry, I'll be updating more again soon. Please review and let me know if you like where the story is heading. Thanks for all the reviews so far, I'm glad you like it so much. **

Chapter 18

_Dom's POV_

I was right, work was torture. Every time I caught sight of Letty she was either leaning over a car or rolling out from under one, and every time she looked too damned sexy for her own good. I couldn't even tell her because of Dad being around, and I had something to prove to him before I did anything stupid. But damn, if Vince hadn't kept calling me over for help I would have done something right in front of my dad because I can't keep myself control in check.

We were all back at the house watching TV, Vince sat beside me on the couch, Mia was in the chair, Letty sat beside me with her legs thrown over my lap, and Leon and Jesse were on the floor. At first, I'd been wary about the way Letty and I were sitting, but after a while I gave up and gave into her. She had changed into her sleeping outfit when we came home so her legs were bare. I lazily stroked her legs during the time of mindless conversation. Vince was talking about some random girl when Dad came in from the kitchen and looked us all over. "Anyone feel like Chinese food tonight?" He asked, looking down at Mia. As always, she smiled brightly at him and nodded. She was such a daddy's girl.

"Chinese sounds good, Dad." I muttered, turning my attention back to the screen. Letty and Vince gave some sort of response, then shortly after Leon and Jesse did also.

"Using Dom as your new foot stool, Let?" Dad asked, laughing as my head snapped towards him.

She just laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he's at the perfect height, and I can kick Vince if I have to." That made me laugh, while Vince just inched himself away from her legs. The room burst into laughter and Dad left to go and get the food. I turned to Letty and gave her a look. "What?" She asked, reaching to move a piece of hair from her face.

"Trying to get us caught, babe?" I whispered, stroking her cheek. She leaned into my hand while Mia made a gagging sound in the corner. I just ignored her and focused on Letty's face.

"No, I was telling the truth. Sometimes Vince needs a foot to the face." I laughed and pulled her close for a soft kiss. Mia made another gagging sound and I shot her a glare. I really needed to put a rat in her room and make her stop with that.

We kept on watching the movie and talking. After a little while Dad came back with the food and we all sat down for a nice meal.

The night kept on and people began to head home. Vince gave Jesse a ride home while Leon walked back to his place. Letty went upstairs with Mia and I was left downstairs with my dad, just talking.

"It's good to see you and Letty getting along so well." He mentioned as I helped him put away the leftover food. We heard Mia giggling upstairs and I rolled my eyes. No doubt she was pounding Letty for information like the nosy girl she is. I turned back to dad and smiled.

"Yeah, we've been doing a lot better lately." Damn this was going to be harder to talk with him about Letty and I than I thought. "Listen, Dad-"I started to say, but he cut me off.

"Dom, a couple of my buddies from the track want me to come and play poker with them tonight, you okay with watching Letty and your sister?" I froze. A night alone with just Mia and Letty? That could either be really good or really bad.

"Uh, sure Dad, I don't mind." He gave me a smile and left, and I felt a surge of excitement and dread. I would love to spend some more time with Letty, but with Mia around it was impossible to get any alone time.

_Letty's POV_

Mia and I were reading some texts she'd gotten from a guy at school she liked when Dom knocked on the door. I looked up and smiled at him. "Hey," He grinned back and came into the room and placed a kiss on the top of my head.

"Hey babe." He whispered, and then turned to Mia, "Dad went to play poker and I am offering you a one-time offer. You can invite whoever it is that you like over to chill out with you for a few hours. You two have to stay in the living room and he's not allowed upstairs unless it's to use the bathroom. Or you can have one of your girl friends over and I'll give you twenty bucks and you can walk to the corner store. Your choice." Mia squealed in glee and sent a text back to the guy.

"I think she's made her choice." I teased, smiling up at Dom before pushing myself off the bed and walked out of the room with him. The minute I closed the door behind me Dom backed me up to a wall and placed one arm on my hip while leaning against the other above my head. I smiled up at him and watched as he slowly leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. It was a slow, gentle kiss, and when he leaned away and smiled down at me I wanted him to lean back in. Instead, he took my hand in his and led me down the hall to my room. "And while Mia is having her little date downstairs, what will we be doing?" I asked, leaning into his strong body. "Doing math homework or something?" He laughed.

"No, I was thinking of watching a movie in your room while making out on the bed." He grabbed me by the waist and pulled my back against his front. I giggled and pretended to struggle to get away, but he held me tightly against him. I liked being with Dom like this, it felt right, felt natural.

About ten minutes later and we had finally picked a movie to watch. I sat lying against Dom's chest as the movie started to play. I was in between Dom's legs and very comfortable, hoping that Mia wouldn't storm in and ruin the moment. Dom kept making stupid comments about the graphics of the movie and what not, claiming to really hate the movie, and it was getting annoying. "Dom, if you don't like Jaws then why did you suggest it?" I turned my head to look up at him and raised an eyebrow. It had taken me years to figure out how to do it the way he and Vince did, and when I finally had mastered it I used it on him all the time.

"Don't get sassy with me, babe, I was just making a point." He leaned in to kiss me sweetly and I took that moment to turn my upper body towards him and wrap my arms around his neck. God he was a good kisser, his lips were so soft and fit perfectly against mine. He brought his arms tightly around me and buried his hands in my loose hair.

I tried to pull back for air, but Dom's lips followed mine, intent to keep me where I stayed. I tried again, laughing slightly as his hands pulled me closer to him. "Dmm, air-" I was barely able to get it out from under the force of his lips.

He moved his mouth away from mine and rolled us so I was lying beneath him. He sat back on his knees and looked down at me with a smile. "Enough air?" He asked, bringing his body back down towards mine and pressing his chest to my smaller one, I could feel his body heat radiating off of him. "Well?"

"Yes," I breathed before he crashed his lips on mine again.

Suddenly the door swung open. "Hey, Dom, can I go to this party-" Mia yelled at us before she paused and screamed.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_Letty's POV_

"Dom, I swear I am going to murder her one day." I groaned, my arms covering my eyes, lying back on the bed. We had just yelled at Mia simultaneously about why she only got to stay downstairs while we made out in my room. Mostly it was that I was fifteen and she wasn't. Dom had his head against the wall now laughing slightly. "Why are you laughing?" I pushed myself up on my elbows and looked at him with a glare. I had been enjoying myself before and I wasn't ready to stop when Mia barged in.

Dom pushed away from the door and walked over to me. My legs were falling off the edge of the bed, so he had to stand with his legs apart as he smiled down at me. He was almost too cocky sometimes. "I'm laughing because no matter how much she makes us want to rip our hair out, we still love her to death." He leaned down a bit as I rolled my eyes. "you can try and deny it all you want, baby, but you know you do." His arms surrounded mine and he leaned farther down. I smiled up at him and pushed myself higher to press my lips to his. God he was a good kisser, why did he have to be such a good kisser? If he was a little worse at it I wouldn't want to fuse my lips to his all the time.

When he pulled back I smiled up at him and slid back on the bed, back to my pillow and patted the space beside me. "Come on, let's finish the movie." I teased. He growled at me and came at me, pulling my foot and jerking me back down the bed, I squealed in between laughing and trying to kick him off.

"Fuck the movie," He breathed and he lowered his body on mine and attacked my lips. I giggled like a little girl and gripped his neck, pulling him closer to me. Damn, I could get used to this feeling of having his lips on mine, his body pressing onto me. I felt his arms wrapping around me and pull my body closer to his. I was grinning like an idiot when he pulled back and looked down at me. "You're shivering," He teased.

Was I? I hadn't even noticed it. Dammit, I did not want to seem nervous right now. I wanted to have fun, but this was all new to me and I was trying to keep up with how fast we were going. He laughed at my expression and lowered his lips down to mine again, slowly this time. He was reaching behind my back and moving his hand under my shirt, stroking the muscles of my back.

I could so get used to this.

_Dom's POV, 3 hours later_

Letty was having a fight with Mia up in her room and I sat on the couch drinking a beer with Vince. He was mocking me as I watched for Letty to come downstairs and sit with me. Mia had decided that she would lecture Letty on something and clearly Letty was not taking it very well. I looked back at Vince as he laughed at me. "Brother you've got it bad."

I grinned in response as I listened to the fight going on upstairs. "She's going to kill Mia at this rate." I muttered, preparing to have to run up and stop them at any given time.

"I hate to say this, but I'm with Letty on this one. Mia had got to get her head out of other people's business right now. She's going to get her ass pounded if she doesn't. Did you know she told Hector that if he had any hope of getting laid again he should learn to shave certain areas of his anatomy? Apparently her friend Tess slept with him and told Mia. I got there right before Hector threw something at her." I laughed. That was Mia, always getting in the way of other people's business.

"Well, I'm not worried about Hector, he would never hurt her, Letty on the other hand is not afraid to throw a few punches at her."

Vince nodded in agreement and took another swing of beer. We continued to chat when I heard Letty scream something and storm down the stairs. I stood and ran over to her, concerned, but she shrugged me off and walked out of the house. I looked up the stairs to see Mia with a cunning smile on her face. "Mia," I warned, her smile immediately vanished. "what did you do?"


End file.
